


Not What I Signed Up For

by pherryt



Series: What Family Means [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha!Dean, Angst, Awkward First Time, Bees, Bottom!Cas, Cas gets fired and kicked out of his house, Happy Ending, Heat/rut, Hurt/Comfort, Knotting, M/M, Mating, Mating Bites, Mpreg, Scenting, Smut, Student!Dean, True Mates, Underage!Dean, a/b/o dynamics, accidental underage relationship, fallout from that, homeless!Cas, non graphic descriptions of labor and breastfeeding, omega!cas, persistent!Dean, sick!Cas, slick, small age difference, teacher!Cas, top!dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-12-26 09:24:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 12
Words: 43,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12056031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pherryt/pseuds/pherryt
Summary: Cas finally has what he’s been working towards for years and though clubs aren’t really his scene he allows Gabe to take him out to celebrate. It was wonderful. Meeting his true mate, connecting the way they had and now he’s on cloud nine. If only Dean hadn’t needed to rush off to rescue a friend before they could properly exchange contact information.Still, Cas is floating high when he enlists his brothers help to find Dean. After all, he found his true mate once by sheer luck. How hard can it be to find him now that he’s looking?A week later, on his first day of teaching, Cas is horrified to discover Dean’s his student at the local high school and everything comes crashing down on himNow what?Even trying to do the right thing doesn’t do any good when all the dominoes in Cas life start tipping over.All because he met his True Mate a couple of years too soon.





	1. At The Start

**Author's Note:**

> About the underage in this fic - Dean and Cas's initial encounter is when Dean's 16 and a half. There's a 5 year difference between them and Cas has no idea during that first encounter for reasons that will become apparant later in the story.
> 
> This story is not me condoning an underage relationship...it's not a kink, or just random background. 
> 
> This fic revolves around (some of) the issues this brings up: how it can ruin lives as it follows Cas through his freak out. Even though I give it a happy ending, because, I have to (it's Dean and Cas), most of us already know that doesn't normally happen.

He’d done it. He’d finally done it. He reached his brand-new classroom and stepped inside. He had a week to prepare the classroom the way he’d want it. Thankfully, as a high school classroom, there wasn’t much he _had_ to do, but when he was done cleaning and reorganizing and bringing in all his stuff, he hoped, if he had time, to be able to put up a few things for a personal touch.

And tonight, his family would be taking him out to celebrate.

First things first. He picked up the chalk and with strong, fluid lines, wrote his name crisp and cleanly across the board. He stepped back, eyeing it critically.

Castiel Novak.

Hmm…it was missing something. He returned to the chalkboard and altered it slightly and then backed away once more to admire it proudly.

Mr. Castiel Novak

There, much better. He turned to look at the rest of the classroom, brushing chalk off his hands. Time to get to work.

Before he knew it, a knock sounded on the inside of his door and he looked up to see his brother, Gabriel, leaning on it. Cas blinked and looked above the door at the standard issue school clock. _Huh, was it after 6 pm already?_ He’d gotten so caught up in what he was doing, Cas never even noticed.

“Yo, Cassie, you ready?” Gabriel asked by way of greeting.

Cas looked around quickly and then gave a firm nod. He’d actually gotten a fair amount done today. He’d likely be able to finish up tomorrow. “Just let me…ah, right. I’m ready,” Cas grinned and Gabriel shook his head as he preceded Cas out, letting the Omega shut and lock the door.

“You’re so happy, Cas. Look at you! You’re practically glowing!” Gabriel chirped cheerily.

Cas rolled his eyes indulgently. “Why wouldn’t I be? It’s my dream come true.”

“There is that,” Gabriel agreed.

A harrowing 20 minutes later – Gabriel was a reckless driver by Cas’s standards – found them joining the rest of their family for dinner. Metatron and Hester, their parents. The twins, Michael and Luke – affectionately (or maybe not so affectionately) called Lucifer by Gabriel. Several of the cousins as well – Anna, Samandriel and Hannah. Sadly, Aunt Amara was there too – she was an Alpha and creepy as hell. Cas was almost certain she’d tried to get in his pants more than once.

Castiel tried not to shudder as she sat next to him. He sent a pleading look to his brothers but they were all just as eager to avoid her as he was. Thankfully, dinner went quickly, everyone too happy on his behalf. Metatron bragged about how smart Castiel was to be able to accomplish what he had despite his Omega status. While the comment rankled – he was so much more than an Omega - it was actually high praise from his father, so he took what he could get.

When dinner ended, his brother – his favorite brother, though oft times also the most obnoxious - Gabriel snagged him and pulled him away from the family, waving them off.

“Where are we going _now,_ Gabriel?” Cas tilted his head, perplexed. Wasn’t this his celebration?

“It’s time for the after party! Balthazar’s meeting us there. No worries, Cassie, this will be awesome!” Gabriel grinned gleefully and pulled his brother into his car, a beat-up Beetle in mismatched colors. Their dad hated it. Which was why Gabe loved it.

Castiel secretly loved it too.

He watched as Gabe drove, trying to figure out just where they were going. He didn’t expect to be dragged to a club. He turned wide eyes on Gabriel as soon as they parked. “Gabe, I…I’ve never been to a club. I don’t feel comfortable...”

“Don’t worry, little bro, I got you covered. In fact,” Gabe reached behind him to the back seat and snapped up a little plastic bag, dumping something out and then handing Cas a small, delicate package, “Scent blockers.”

“Why?” Cas took the familiar looking package reflexively, but didn’t understand why Gabe was handing them to him. It wasn’t the dark ages, and most people didn’t judge via secondary genders these days - often using scent as much as sight and sound in telling the mood of another person. The fact that his family and a few others still seemed to set stock in it was never all that pleasant, but he was used to it. Thought it was, at times, jarring to leave the house and be in the company of others that didn’t look down on him for being an Omega.  

And yet, here was Gabriel handing him the blockers that his parents insisted he wear around them, not wanting to be reminded of his status. Blockers that Cas didn’t wear as often when he wasn’t in their company, finding it freeing. Cas sighed. Then again, he had just been telling Gabe he didn’t go to clubs because he wasn’t comfortable. He might, to himself, even admit it didn’t feel quite safe though he knew the likelihood of him being targeted for what he was very low. His thoughts were whirling around contradictorily. If he used the blockers, wouldn’t he be admitting that he bought into how their parents thought? That he was scared what might happen when he stepped inside the club where people were already drowning their inhibitions in alcohol?

“Because, the ones you were wearing at dinner are already starting to wear off, and they’ll wear off even _faster_ once you get inside. And also, because you need to get laid, but you sure as hell should do it on your terms and not because some knot head wants himself the only male omega in the county as a notch on his bedpost.”

Cas grimaced at the words, Gabe’s crude imagery, but accepted the blockers. He didn’t have to go through with anything. That was, of course, the point of Gabriel making sure he had them. Unlike their parents, Gabe was giving Cas the choice of blockers so that he would have the _choice_ of what _he_ wanted to do _;_ while normally he was being handed blockers to hide himself for their own comfort level. He didn’t even _need_ to put them on if he didn’t want.

He looked nervously at the understated sign for the club, Purgatory, and took a breath, quickly applying the blockers before stepping out of the car. As soon as he did, Cas saw his brother waving frantically at someone a few cars down. Balthazar, Cas’s best friend from college, one of the only friends he’d ever made outside of family because he’d just been too busy (and Balthazar had been very persistent in a strangely non-threatening way, never interested in Cas as an Omega, but as an actual friend, an equal), waved back and walked over.

“Cassie, love, why do you look so nervous?” He pulled Cas into a hug as soon as he reached the brothers.

“I’m not nervous,” Cas shot a glare at Gabriel, just daring his brother to contradict him.

Balthazar laughed and clapped him on the back. “Loosen up, Cassie you deserve it! You haven’t taken a break in forever…”

It didn’t take long for the three of them to slip inside. Cas found the press of bodies, the heat and sound, strobing lights and dark corners and the _smells_ overwhelming. Gabriel found them a table in a somewhat darkened and secluded corner – how, with all these people there, Castiel couldn’t fathom – while Balthazar got them all drinks.

Cas tried to relax, to let the intent of the place, to let loose and be happy, flow into him. Gabe and Balthy wanted him to get up and dance, but that certainly wasn’t going to happen until he felt a little less self-conscious.

Maybe a lot less.

He drank what he was given, then drank some more. The more Cas had, the looser he felt, until he finally got the courage to give in to Gabe and Balthazar’s insistent “Just get up and dance, man. You don’t even have to _do_ anything, just have some fun.”

About the tenth time they said it – and who knew how many drinks in at this point – Cas finally gave a shaky nod and they gave a cheer, dragging him up from the booth and away from the table to the dance floor.

The two of them immediately set loose and Cas stared wide-eyed at the moving bodies around them, how uninhibited they were. He shuffled a little and frowned down at his feet, then back up to the people around him, studying them, trying to figure out _how_ they were moving. He’d been watching for over the last hour and they all made it look so easy, easy enough to finally give it a try, but he couldn’t get his feet to _move._ Gabe and Balthy were just laughing and flailing around in a fashion he was almost certain wasn’t _actually_ dancing, but they were at least having fun.

Which was the point, so why couldn’t he get himself to move?

“You need some help there?” a voice called, warm breath brushing his ear, the other man having had to get close to be heard.

Castiel blinked and turned, falling into deep green pools. He blushed and stammered, “Th-that obvious, huh?”

“I can help,” the freckled man in front of him grinned. He had a youthful face, but he was tall, as tall as Cas and so incredibly handsome. Cas blinked at him. “If you’re okay with…” green eyes trailed off, holding his hand out and Cas saw some uncertainty flicker through those eyes.

As close as they were pressed due to the crowd, as close as they leaned toward each other to speak, the other man was very careful not to touch him, other than an accidental brush of their limbs as someone bumped into one or the other. That decided it for him.

“Yes, yes, I think, yes, please,” _Oh, what a horrible sentence_ , Cas thought. One would never believe he’d be a teacher of words. But disjointed and inelegant as they were, they seemed to do the trick, the green-eyed man now laying hands gently on Cas, on his arms and his waist, helping him to move, giving him a rhythm to follow.

“It’s easy, just follow my lead. When I first started dancing, I had a good friend of mine describe it as ‘sex with your clothes on’,” Green Eyes flushed a little, “It’s all about rhythm and just a little bit of…” He moved and Cas’s eyes widened, breath catching. Green eyes leaned closer again, that warm breath once again brushing against his ear, “Just let me know if it’s too much. And…name’s Dean.”

He – _Dean -_ pulled back again, his face pinking more, the freckles standing out. One hand dropped from Cas’s waist and came up to rub at the back of his neck nervously. It was…it was adorable.

Castiel leaned in, “Call me Cas.” He was pleased to note Dean’s eyes light up and the hand drop, his confidence returning once more. Cas was unsure how long they danced together, but it seemed to fire him up, each brush of Dean’s leg on his, each pass of a hand over his arm. Dean spun him about at one point, Cas willingly allowing it. Dean then pulled Cas flush against the hard body behind him and Cas groaned.

He’d never felt like this before. Was this what he’d been missing all holed up on his studies for so long? Cas felt the heat of Dean’s body behind him and he dropped his head back on the man’s shoulder, the scent of him was tantalizing him. He longed to turn and sniff his neck – but managed to hold himself back, just barely.

Cas felt his pants grow damp and he burned, hoping no one else could see it, or smell it. Hoped Dean couldn’t feel it. Dean’s arms had wrapped around him, chest and stomach, his face was nearly buried in Cas’s hair when Dean froze and spun him back around, his eyes wild.

“Holy fuck, you smell amazing!” the green-eyed Alpha – holy hell, how’d Cas miss that? - was staring at Castiel and Cas almost got lost in his eyes. But then the Dean’s words registered and he felt a zinging shock rock through him.

“I’m wearing scent blockers,” Castiel whispered, though in truth he echoed the other man’s sentiment. He was literally drowning in the scent of him – oil and leather and something, something he could not place, something indefinable, but wanted to get so much closer to.

The Alpha leaned closer and grinned, “So am I, gorgeous – you still smell _amazing._ You _look_ amazing too. Cas, I – I – “ the cocky vibe petered out, Dean going nervous once more, looking at Cas with need and something else the Omega couldn’t identify.

Dean pulled away from Cas, peeling off the Omega and causing him to whine. What was going on? Why was Dean leaving him? Why would he reveal something so…so life changing and then try to leave, try to -

“I need to taste you, feel you,” the Alpha groaned, leaning in again but very carefully not touching, though Cas had already given him permission when they had started dancing. Castiel could see his fingers twitch and then clench into fists before being shoved into his pockets. “You’re driving me crazy! Fuck!” Dean reined himself in, breathing hard, eyes wide, freckled nose flaring.

Castiel stood amazed.

He made up his mind and lunged forward for a kiss, no longer worried about his own inexperience.

The first kiss sent shocks through his body, and by the groan from the Alpha, he had felt the same.

The second kiss ramped up their scents enough that people around them started giving them a wide berth and annoyed glances. Whatever blockers they’d been wearing had been completely negated by _this_. Cas had heard it could happen but never believed it. He grasped Dean’s shoulders hard, making sure he didn’t stop.

The third kiss had Gabriel shoving them through the club, grumbling, “Lucky for _you_ guys, this place has private rooms for just such…occurrences as these, now go.”

Gabriel found an empty room and shoved them inside, the little man having more strength than Cas could ever account for. Then he paused and slipped something into Cas’s pocket, patting it. “Be careful. Use that! And get me if you need me.”

 


	2. Unexpected Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Cas go off somewhere private for some fun times...but it doesn't end the way Cas expected it to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure you've all figured with the way the last chapter ended but this one has the smut.
> 
> Also, I have decided to ramp up the posting schedule for this to 2 times a week. 
> 
> So friday/Saturday round about midnight (basically on the cusp of the switchover since thats when i get out of work) and on Tuesdays - I'm gonna attempt to do those in the afternoon BEFORE i go to work.
> 
> In the meantime, if you follow me on tumblr, you'll note i just went into panic mode about the big bangs i'm writing for. i'd been concentrating on the one i signed up for first and made the startling realization that the other one has less lead time to get the rough draft ready. SOOOOOOo.....I may not be making much art for this story *sniffles*. I'm sorry everyone :( I hope nobody's too disappointed. I'm still gonna try though. I just can't guarantee every chapter will have a picture or that it'll post at the same time.

Castiel blinked as the door shut behind him and Dean and he stood staring at the closed door. Slowly, Cas reached out and locked it behind his brother, hearing Dean’s breath hitch at the action. He turned to face the Alpha whose green eyes were wide and lust filled. Dean licked his lips and leaned forward slowly to touch his to Cas’s own.

It was gentle. Chaste. And nothing like Cas had expected of an Alpha. He smiled and it grew wide at Dean’s answering blush. Taking Dean’s hands in his own, he looked around till he spotted the bed and pulled him over to it, sitting down and looking up at the gorgeous man before him. Dean ducked in for another kiss and soon found himself sitting on Cas’s lap, their hips rolling into each other with each kiss. Dean trailed his mouth across the lightly stubbled jaw, sucking and nipping, his hands reaching hesitantly under the open shirt. Cas couldn’t recall when the buttons had come undone, or who had done it but he didn’t care, gasping as Dean started down his neck, pushing the shirt off.

With a moan, Cas reached out and yanked Dean’s tee shirt off and lunged forward to get his lips on the Alphas skin. He slid his hands up to Dean’s sides, around his back and back down, slipping into Dean’s jeans and grabbing hold, pulling Dean closer. Dean cried out, his hands coming to rest on Cas’s shoulders as he arched his back, his hips thrusting forward to slide his cock against Cas’s. He cried out again, the sound trailing off into a moan. Cas licked his neck, sucked as his fingers pulled Dean into a rolling rhythm, feeling his slick between his legs.

God, he was ready. Been ready for this for so long. Cas just hadn’t known what he was waiting for. Turned out, it was  _ Dean _ the whole time. He gasped and whimpered at the heat curling inside him and he struggled to stand. Dean, dazed, took a second to scramble of Cas’s lap, a twinge of uncertainty at Cas’s sudden movement that was relieved as soon as he saw Cas’s hands fly to his belt.

Dean rushed to help, but only succeeded in tangling their fingers together. Castiel huffed out a laugh, “Patience, Dean.” Castiel swayed into his space, pulling the lobe of Dean’s ear into his mouth with his teeth and tugging gently. The harsh whine from Dean made Cas’s cock throb as he hurriedly yanked his clothing off, standing naked in front of someone else for the first time. “You’ll be inside me soon enough.”

Cas was pleased to hear the whimper from the Alpha, see the sway of his body, the shaking hands as they popped the button of his own jeans and pushing them off, stumbling in his haste to step out of them.

The scent, which was pleasant before, was now intoxicating, as their lust mingled together in a strange harmony, each breath in ramping up their pleasure. After almost face planting on the Omega, the two of them laid themselves out on the bed, bodies pressed tightly together, hands sliding down to grope at asses again, yanking the other into a hot…slick…slide of hard…throbbing cocks. Their mouths met again, tongues thrusting in time with their hips.

Cas needed to be close, closer. He was so hot, so overwhelmed, lost in pleasure, till the rocking changed and Dean slipped his cock between Cas’s legs, using an arm to hitch one leg up and slid the head of his leaking member across Cas’s hole…then without so much as a finger of prep, tried to thrust in. Cas pushed at Dean, reached down to block him.

“Dean, stop, you can’t just…not like that…you need to...” Cas struggled to get the words out, blushing deeply. Instead, he reached down, grabbing Dean’s hand and pulling it towards him. Dean, in surprise, let him and Cas rolled to his back, pulling Dean with him, guiding Dean’s hand down to his hole, his legs having already fallen open and wide, inviting him in.

“I – I thought Omega’s didn’t need stretching?” Dean choked out, confusion now mixing with the arousal Cas could still smell.  _ At least I havn’t killed the moment, _ Cas thought.

“Not quite true. We just provide our own, um, our own lubrication,” Dammit, Cas shouldn’t be embarrassed by this. He was a grown man and it was completely natural!

Dean’s eyes widened in realization, at  _ why _ Cas pushed him away, “Oh god! I’m so sorry! I didn’t hurt you, did I, Cas?”

“Not much, Dean, but please…” Cas still had a grip over Dean’s wrist and he urged him to move with a small whine and another push.

Dean swallowed, “Okay, just, let me know if I – if I do something wrong again, please?”

Cas looked up at Dean and stilled. “Dean, are you a - ?

Dean blushed furiously and looked away, eyes closing, giving a short, sharp nod. He started to pull away, his scent souring as he apparently expected rejection at this knowledge. Cas clutched at him, “No, don’t go, Dean, please? Please stay, I…me too.” Cas finished softly.

Dean’s head whipped around in surprise, “Seriously? But, how? And how are you so…?” he waved a hand over Cas’s whole person.

“I’ve been pretty lost in my schooling – a nerd my brother calls me and um…my heats are a little easier to handle if I can manage some physical satisfaction. It usually requires some…help.”

Dean puzzled over that for a second or two. Obviously trying to figure out how Cas could have help and still be a virgin at the same time, but then understanding dawned on him. “Oh! So you use, um…fake knots? And, and stuff? H-how is that?”

“Before, it was enough,” Cas’s words were growled out, still turned on.

“Oh yeah?” Dean asked breathlessly. Cas nodded. “Could you, could you show me how you stretch yourself?”

Cas grinned, “Of course.”

Dean watched as Cas flipped himself over to his hands and knees, giving Dean a perfect view of the Omega’s ass and glistening hole. Cas was surprised to realize there were mirrors, large mirrors scattered through the room, letting him watch the Alpha despite his position. The Alpha was kneeling on the bed behind Cas with an indrawn breath. Dean leaned over, avidly watching Cas sliding his fingers through the slick, then bringing one up to circle his hole.

Dean’s breathing grew harder watching the Omega and when Cas breached himself with a finger Dean echoed his groan. “Oh, fuck, that’s something…” Mesmerized, Dean watched Cas sliding his finger in and out, thrusting and leaking more and more slick, the scent of it tantalizing Dean’s nose, making his mouth water. Dean raised shaking hands to slide across both ass cheeks, gently gripping them to pull them apart, giving himself an even better view. Cas whimpered at the touch, the broad and strong hands, so warm, sending tingles down to his profusely leaking cock and Cas added another finger, speeding up the tempo. He spread his fingers, trying not to touch that special place inside him. He was more turned on than he’d ever felt before and Dean had barely touched him at this point.

Cas felt like he’d blow before he even got Dean inside him and oh,  _ god,  _ he’d never wanted anything – anyone – inside him so much before. He added a third finger and watched Dean’s expression in the mirror, the man biting his bottom lip hard, the fingers on Cas’s ass kneading the flesh.

“Oh god, oh fuck, Cas…! Can I…I want to…” Dean’s fingers twitched, slid lower and stopped. Cas yanked his fingers out and bowed down, touching his head to the bed, hands grasping each other on the sheets above his head. The position arched his back, raising his ass high.

“Yes, Dean, please…” Cas whispered. He heard the indrawn breath, the low moan, the tentative touch of a calloused finger to his hole. He pushed back, encouraging Dean to press inside and he took the hint easily. Each thrust of Deans finger was slow and taunting and Cas pushed, rocking back into it. “More, you can…oh god yes,” Cas whispered as Dean obeyed him quickly. Dean’s thrusts sped up and Cas keened when the Alpha found his prostate.

“Is that - ?” Dean’s voice held wonder and Cas nodded vigorously into the sheets.

“Yes, yes, it is. Again, please!” Cas whimpered, the heat of his body notching up higher, “And, m-move your fingers. To…stretch me, you need to…oh, oh, oh, yes, like that.”

“Holy fuck, Cas,” Dean’s voice growled out, the awe and wonder still present. Lips touched Cas’s ass, sliding up his back in a slow, meandering trail of licks and sucks and small nips as Dean whimpered. “God, I got so hard just watching you and this…this is…you’re so damn hot!”

Cas’s breath came in broken pants, shaky inhales and groaning exhales. Reluctantly, he pulled away, leaning over to grope for his pants. “I have to, you need to…” He came up with a single foil packet and ripped it open, handing the condom to Dean and rolling onto his back. “I need you, Dean.”

“Yeah, yeah of course,” Dean agreed, fumbling with the condom before he finally got it rolled on. As soon as he did, Cas leaned up and grabbed him by the back of the neck with one hand, mouth covering his and pulling the Alpha down to the bed, covering the Omega’s body. They rutted against each other, their lips becoming uncoordinated, slipping away and diving in, hot, wet, messy kisses. Deans hands slid back down to Cas’s ass and lifted, sliding his cock against his hole. He thrust forward and back several times, the head of his cock catching on Cas’s rim.

“Stop teasing, Dean…” Cas’s voice cracked on the words and Dean nodded frantically, finally using a hand to guide himself in and oh, Cas was never going to be satisfied by toys after this. Oh this was heaven. It had to be. The hot, throbbing length buried in his ass, filling him up. He rocked down with a cry and Dean’s head fell against Cas’s shoulder.

Bodies wet with combined sweat, Cas’s slick and pre-come, they moved and slid together in frantic thrusts, their cries unrestrained, the scent of arousal mingling and heightening. Cas locked his legs around Dean’s waist to draw him in deeper and wailed as the changed angle nailed his prostate.

They were beyond words now, beyond thought, lost in pleasure and kisses, touching and thrusting. The room faded to only Dean and Cas and how good they felt. Cas felt Dean mouthing at his neck and the slick gushed out of him, making the way easier, slipperier.  Dean growled and pushed himself away from Cas’s neck bowing his head in restraint.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,” Dean’s words came with every thrust, every slap of his hips against Cas’s ass and Cas, for his part, was no less coherent, gasping out breathy “oh’s” interspersed with keening wails until he locked up, back arching, his cock spilling out just as Dean’s knot, growing with every thrust finally caught inside Cas’s clenching walls and locked the Alpha’s cock inside of the Omega.

Riding out their orgasms together, Cas twitched with every small rock into his body. Dean unable to pull out any longer but just pressing in and in and oh, holy, fuck, Cas was going to come again! He hadn’t known that was even possible.

Dean collapsed on top of Cas breathing hard, body jerking as Cas’s second orgasm pulled out another one from Dean.

They lay there for a long while before Dean jerked upright. “Oh god, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to crush you!” He started to pull off, but they were still locked together and he settled back down. With Cas’s help, they maneuvered to their sides, each of them sticky with come, sweat and slick and not minding in the least.

They shared soft, sweet kisses and then Cas held his breath as Dean held his eyes, slid a hand down Cas’s chest, swiping his fingers through the mix coating their lower halves and then raising his fingers back up to his lips and licking them clean with a groan.

“How are you real?” Dean whispered. “Am I dreaming?”

“If you are, than so am I,” Castiel whispered in return, sliding the backs of his knuckles down Dean’s cheek. “You are so much more than I ever thought to find. So…considerate of me, so gentle. Tell me about you?”

Dean blushed and ducked his head into Cas’s neck, “Nah, man. I ain’t all that special. I’m the lucky one.”

“Please, let me be the judge of that, tell me about yourself?” Cas threaded his fingers through the spiky hair crushed against his face and breathed in the scent. So much sex, yes, but also contentedness and home. It was as intoxicating as the other.

“What do you want me to tell you? M’names Dean. Finishing up school just now, I’m following in my father’s footsteps. I love cars. Always been good at tearing them apart and putting them back together, so that’s what I’m gonna do.”

“That sounds impressive. I know nothing about cars,” Cas lamented.

“I’ll teach ya,” Dean grinned.

“Okay, what else?” Cas prodded.

“Uh, well, I have a younger brother who’s a genius and my mom makes the most kick-ass pie on the planet. Pie is like the best stuff ever. Growing up, mom had to make a separate birthday pie cause I wouldn’t eat the cake.” Dean inhaled deeply of Cas, “And you smell like warm, apple pie and fresh bacon and…and something else. Do you know how good you smell?” Dean groaned.

Castiel groaned, clenching down on Dean with his words. Surely Dean was too good to be true? “Flatterer,” he said with a soft smile.

Dean grinned, “It’s the truth. You’re amazing, and patient too…”

“Hey, I thought we were talking about you?” Cas narrowed his eyes at Dean in mock anger.

Dean laughed, “I thought we were pretty much done. Not much to tell about me.” He shrugged with a deprecating smile.

“You left out the part where, apparently, you frequent clubs,” Cas said with a chortle.

Dean pulled up a little to latch his eyes to Cas’s. “Actually, it’s my first time here, in this club, any club, ever.”

“Same…” Cas breathed out.

“Your turn. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?” Dean encouraged, laying back down next to Cas, arms encircling him.

“Well, I have 3 brothers, all older than me. And I just finished school actually,” there was a slight twitch at the words, but Castiel felt Dean’s cock pulse and release more come. “Nobody thought I could do it. Or at least, my parents didn’t and this one guy who had it out for me in the administration. But I did. And it’s such a relief. Other than that, I’m really rather boring. Read a lot, love bees and going for runs.”

“I bet those runs are what gives you killer legs. You near about squeezed me to death with them,” Dean chuckled.

“I’m so sorry,” Cas said in horror.

“Nah, don’t be. I liked it,” Dean looked at him shyly.

Then both of them looked down in surprise as Dean finally slipped out of Cas, his soft cock pulling free, and come coming along with it, wet on Cas’s thighs. They both jerked upright and looked down in horror.

“I…what happened? That wasn’t supposed to happen! Did I put it on wrong?” Dean’s hand hovered uncertainly before looking around for something to clean Cas up with. He leaned down for his shirt while Cas removed the condom and looked it over.

“It broke…” Cas said. “Look, the end just…burst open.”

“They can do that? Oh, my god…I’m so sorry!”

“Don’t be Dean, it was my condom.” Castiel’s eyes narrowed, “That my brother gave me. Trust my brother to give me a defective condom. He’ll be mortified.” With a sigh, Cas turned and tossed the empty and torn condom into the trash, finding a stash of towels on the bedside table. Snatching one up he handed one to Dean and took another for himself. “Well, at least we can save a shirt.”

“Cas, is everything gonna be all right?” Dean’s worried eyes met his and Cas melted at the concern in them. This man was unbelievable.

“We’re both virgins so we should be clean unless there’s something in your family history…?” Dean shook his head at Cas’s words. “Okay, so that’s that and I’m on birth control. So, we should be fine.”

Dean huffed out a heavy sigh of relief and slumped in towards Cas. “Oh, thank fuck, I was scared there for a minute. I’m not ready to be a father, not just yet.”

“Neither am I, to tell the truth,” Cas laid a hand on Dean’s head, then slid down his neck and across his shoulders, gripping his shoulder, dropping a kiss to the top of his head. Dean looked up and Cas smiled. “It’s okay, Dean, we’re okay.” Cas leaned forward for another kiss. Even if nothing else happened tonight, Cas thought he might forever be addicted to kisses from Dean.

Dean surged into the kiss, knocking Cas back to the bed. He pulled back a little to let out a breathless, “Sorry,” before he rolled them till Cas was on top and they went back to kissing. Cas couldn’t believe he was growing hard again already and then Dean rocked upward and he felt Dean’s growing erection too.

They started leisurely rocking against each other when Dean’s phone went off. Dean jerked, nearly slamming his head into Cas’s and scrambled up, looking for his pants.

“Dean, what is it?” Castiel watched the Alpha pale and scramble for his clothes.

“I’m sorry – I gotta go. My friends in trouble…” Dean yanked his pants on, forgoing his boxers and socks, shoving his feet into his boots. He thrust his phone and the other articles of clothing into his pockets and grabbed his shirt and was halfway out the door before Cas could do more than blink in confusion.

“Dean, Dean wait!” Cas yelled frantically. “Fuck, fuck fuck!” he growled, leaping off the bed in search of his own clothes, taking Dean’s cue to hurriedly dress. He burst out of the door, his shirt hanging open and he scanned the crowd.

No sign of Dean.

“Fuck!”

“Cassie? What the hell? Are you all right?” Gabriel’s hands grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled Cas to a stop, forcing him around to face him.

“Gabe, you gotta let me go! I found my True Mate!” Cas barreled into his brother to get him to let go, and nearly knocked him to the floor.

“Whoa! How drunk  _ are  _ you?” Gabriel grabbed Cas by both arms and managed to stand him upright. The Omega smiled at his brother, loopy and happy, but urgent and frantic at the same time. Gabe sniffed the air again, and Cas wondered what the hell he could be trying to catch, when the place was literally  _ crawling _ with scent. He’d already lost Dean in the crowd – sight and smell. And somehow, Cas knew he was long gone.

“I’m not drunk, Gabe. It was wonderful –  _ he  _ was wonderful,” Cas hummed, tiredly leaning heavily on the shorter man. “And we could smell each other, Gabriel. We were both wearing scent blockers but we could. I can’t – I need to find him – help me find him. Gabe, please?”

“You found your True Mate – a one in a million chance – and he  _ left _ you? I’ll kill him!” Gabriel’s honey gold eyes narrowed dangerously and Castiel hurried to reassure him.

“No! It wasn’t like that! I don’t think he wanted to leave. We were in the middle of – “ Cas blushed and looked away, but he was smiling softly, a look Gabriel didn’t think he’d ever seen on his brothers normally stoic face. “ - our second time when his phone rang. He paled. Gabe, he looked scared as he ran out of there. Was so fast, I never got his number. I need to find him. You have to help me!”

“Okay, well, lucky for you, I got a pic. Tell me you at least got a name to go with it?” Gabriel sighed but pulled out his phone.

“Dean.” Castiel beamed.

“Dean?” Gabriel asked incredulously.

“Yes.”

“That’s it?” Gabriel couldn’t believe his ears. Cas, of all people. Having a one night stand and not getting the guy’s name? Okay, it wasn’t on purpose, and apparently – for Cas – not a one night stand. But…

“Yes.”

“You don’t make things easy, do you, Cassie?”

“Sorry, Gabe. Will you still help me?” Castiel looked at him pleadingly, blue eyes sad and imploring.

“Of course, baby brother,” Gabriel sighed again, knowing that he should have expected that he would cave for Cas. He  _ always  _ caved for Cas.

He just had no idea how he was going to succeed.

Somehow, Gabriel managed to get a giddy Cas back to the house. Cas wasn’t actually all that drunk anymore, though he didn’t bother telling his brother that, because it didn’t really matter. As a matter of fact, he’d sobered up pretty damn quickly when faced with Dean. It was just,  _ he  _ was so happy and tired and  _ sated _ , so excited by what he’d discovered that night, by all that he’d experienced, that even Balthazar had thought Cas still drunk.

He went to bed humming, after making Gabriel promise to text him the photo of Dean. He’d nearly fallen asleep when the ping sounded and Cas scrambled for the phone to open the message. He grinned at the sight of Dean. The picture had captured one of the moments that Cas and Dean had stared into each other’s eyes. They must have stood there a while for Gabriel to get such a clear shot with his phone in such a dimly lit room.

Castiel fell asleep with a smile on his lips and his phone held loosely in his hands.

The rest of the week was torture. In the morning, the daunting task of finding out who Dean was and how to find him fully hit him. They had talked, true, but Cas only knew that Dean was still in school and had a genius for a younger brother. Dean loved cars and fixing them up, and he already had plans, a job lined up after school. And pie. Dean had waxed quite poetically about pie.

It had been adorable.

But none of that helped Cas find him now.

Still, when the first day of school happened, not even missing mates could dampen Cas’s excitement. Thoroughly nervous for the first class of the day, he found his nerves abating with each new period. A couple of students stood out in every class, and Cas could see an enjoyable year ahead of him.

The bell rang for the last class of the day, and he spent the three minutes of the changing over cleaning up the board, leaving only his name.  Once again wiping his hands on his dark slacks and running his hands through his dark hair, Cas felt good.

And then the smell hit him.

Familiar, etched onto his memory so clearly, Cas froze in shock. This wasn’t possible. Why would he scent Dean  _ here?  _ With dread, he slowly spun around to find Dean standing equally shocked in the classroom doorway. Castiel swallowed and wondered what the hell he was going to do now? Watching with wide eyes as Dean slowly went and took a seat – in the front row of course – Cas thought about how to handle this. He couldn’t just ignore the Alpha. Even if it was a bad idea to ignore Alphas’ in general, it could affect Dean’s learning in the class and prove to be detrimental to his grades. And Cas wasn’t going to let  _ his _ mistake cost one of his students their future.

As Cas took roll call – learning that crucial information he’d not know the other night, Dean’s last name. Now that it didn’t matter anymore, now that Cas couldn’t pursue  _ anything  _ without being branded a pedophile - he worried at the problem in the back of his head. Dean had passed as an adult at the club, and after everything that had happened there, Cas just had to hope he was mature enough for the inevitable conversation.

And that it wouldn’t blow up in his face.

The class both dragged and went too quickly. How such a thing was even possible, Cas had no earthly idea. But the bell finally rang and the students stood up en masse, heading for the door.

All but one. Dean made a show of slowly putting away his things so he could be the last one to leave. It was the last period of the class and as soon as the rest of the students were gone, Dean approached the desk with a wide grin.

But Cas wasn’t smiling,  _ couldn’t _ smile as he watched Dean get closer. His heart both skipped a beat at Dean’s gorgeous smile and sunk as he realized the Alpha had no idea what Cas was about to say. This wasn’t going to go well.

“I don’t understand why you’re smiling. This isn’t good,” Castiel spoke the words softly with a worried glance at the door.

Dean faltered, “Why not? I’d been afraid I’d never see you again, and here you are! This is awesome!”

“Dean, lower your voice!” Cas whispered as he cast another look at the open door and the – apparently – empty corridor beyond.

“I don’t understand – you…me…we… _ Cas _ …I didn’t realize it then, and I’m sorry, but we’re True Mates! I want you, and…and you want me too, don’t you? As soon as I’m legal, Cas, we can get hitched.”

“Dean, we don’t even know each other,” Castiel started, trying to gather the right words. Teacher of a Creative Writing class and he couldn’t find the ones he needed.

“But…don’t you want this? Me?”

“Not now. Not while you’re a minor still in school. While I’m your teacher - we can’t!” Castiel’s head shot towards the door. Had he heard something in the hall? Oh god, please let all this just be a bad dream.

“But if we tell them we’re True Mates, they’d have to let us.” Dean pleaded.

“I could still lose my job!”

“Is your job more important than your True Mate? Don’t – please don’t reject me…” Dean whispered. It broke Cas’s heart to hear the shattered hope.

“Dean, I don’t think we should talk about this again, until you finish school. It’s inappropriate.” Castiel’s voice was leaden. The joy of his first day had been sucked clean away. To have found his True Mate and have it torn away from him in the same minute was devastating.

What he had suffered 40 minutes ago, he was suffering again – would suffer every day. Every time he saw Dean, Cas was certain he’d die a little more. And he wasn’t alone – he could clearly see that Dean was suffering now. But Cas could offer no comfort. It wasn’t his place.

Couldn’t be his place.

Not now. And if he broke Dean’s heart, not ever.

And Cas understood as he watched the devastated teen walk out the door, that he’d done just that. He slumped in his chair, buried his face in his hands and tried to hold back the tears.

Cas wasn’t sure how he made it home. He walked in a daze directly and unerringly to his own room. On autopilot, he put his bag on his desk and pulled off his tie. He toed off his shoes and walked to his bed. The tears he wouldn’t allow to fall earlier could be held back no longer.

Without even a perfunctory knock, Gabriel blew in, “How was your first day at school, Cassie? Whoa…that bad?”

Cas sobbed, “I found him. I found Dean.”

“What did that fuck do?” Gabriel growled, crossing the room quickly to pull his younger brother into his arms.

“He’s 16, Gabe. Oh god…he’s…he’s six –  _ teen _ .” Cas clutched his brothers’ shirt. “I’m going to jail. I can’t be near him. He’s my True Mate and I can’t...what am I going to do, Gabe?”

“Oh, Cassie…only you,” Gabriel whispered sadly, running a soothing hand through Cas’s hair as the Omega sobbed.

“What am I going to do?”

 


	3. It Shouldn’t Have Happened Like This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean is forced to reveal more than he wants to, again and again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More angst here....and Dean's POV!
> 
> Also, the plan was to put this up later today, around the afternoon before i went to work, but work needs me to cover someone so by the time i wake up, i'd have to leave. SO you get the chapter a few hours early (but at least on the planned day. by EST time at any rate!)

Dean exited the classroom slowly, his heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces. He stood outside the doorway trying to regain his composure, glad that the hall was empty. Glad it was after school. How could Cas push him away like this? Didn’t being True Mates  _ mean _ anything to the man? Hadn’t…hadn’t what happened at the club meant anything? He’d thought…

His breath caught and his nose picked up the faintest smell. He hadn’t believed his eyes when he walked into the classroom, and Castiel had been wearing scent blockers – he’d probably been nervous for his first day of teaching. But Dean had smelled him anyway. He’d been anxious, shocked and…well, Dean wasn’t really sure. But now…Dean’s head turned back toward the classroom and he sniffed again. What was it? He quietly poked his head into the classroom –

Only to see Cas wasn’t as unaffected as he’d pretended to be. He sat in his chair, hands covering his face and shaking. Dean wanted to go in there, to reassure him. Wanted to take Cas in his arms and soothe him. Wanted –

But he couldn’t. Cas had made it clear that he didn’t want Dean near him. Dean gritted his teeth and turned back around determinedly. In moments, he was at the Impala and opening the door. The familiar feel and smell of the car was normally enough to brighten his day, but today…

Dean slid into the seat and stared out the windshield. His breathing was ragged and hitched. Fuck, he had to calm down. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe –

He slammed his fist on the steering wheel once, twice. Again and again. His breath hitched again and he dropped his head on the abused steering wheel and tried, again, to calm himself. His hands shook, but he needed to get back under control. Needed to be cool and collected before -

The doors opened and three people slid into the car. Sam, skipped ahead a grade, piled excitedly into the front seat, while Benny and Charlie slid into the back together. “What’s up, bitches?” Charlie exclaimed. “What say we all go out for first day back burgers?”

Dean groaned. He was really not in the mood but he couldn’t ruin his little brothers first day of high school. “Yeah, okay, everyone buckled in?”

“Dean, are you okay?” Sam’s grin dropped, “Dean?”

Dean forced a smile, not a doubt in his mind everyone could  _ see  _ how fake it was, never mind how clearly they’d smell the lie, “Don’t worry about me, Sam. Today’s special, let’s go celebrate it.”

“Dean – “

“No, look, it’s okay. I’ll tell you guys later, but right now, it’s Sammy’s moment.”

“If you’re sure, brotha,” Benny said uncertainly from the back seat. Sam eyed Dean, but he nodded at Dean’s promise, even going so far as to not bite back about Dean calling him Sammy like he usually would, which showed just how concerned he was. 

Charlie just placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Whatever’s going on we’ve got your back, you know that, right Dean?”

Dean’s lips pinched together and he nodded, reaching forward to turn the key into the ignition. “Okay, let’s go get burgers!”

With his friends help, and Sam’s, Dean made it through the rest of the day, dropping Benny and Charlie off before heading home with Sam. Dean pulled into the driveway and turned off the car.

Instead of getting out of the car, Sam looked at Dean. “You going to tell me what’s going on? Before we go inside and mom and dad  _ smell _ it on you?”

Dean took a shuddering breath. He’d spent the last couple of hours pointedly avoiding thinking about it and now here he was. Feeling like he’d been punched in the gut all over again. Sam wrinkled his nose at the rapidly souring scent.

“Look, Sam, I – I really don’t want to talk about it. Not yet, okay?”

“Dean, are you sure?” Sam looked up at him with puppy dog eyes, the concern rolling off of him clearly in the close quarters, despite open windows.

Dean groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck. Don’t tell mom or dad, okay? You gotta promise me, Sammy.”

“I won’t. You can trust me,” Sam encouraged him.

“I might have…lied to mom and dad when I said I was hanging out at Benny’s place last week. Benny, Charlie and I, we um…you really won’t tell, right?” Sam shook his head vigorously. “Right, well, we uh, we went out. Snuck into a club and I met this guy, right? And he was…he was perfect.” Dean’s eyes misted over, though the tears did not fall. “He was hot, and fun, and thoughtful and um…best sex ever, I swear to god.”

“Oh my god!” Sam blushed, “You had sex with a stranger?”

“Not a stranger. I think – no, I  _ know  _ he’s my True Mate. And I know I’m young but, that kind of thing is rare and he was just…so special. I don’t want to lose him, Sammy,” Dean wiped angrily at his face. The tears he refused to acknowledge slowly dripping down his nose. “I wanna be able to…to…”

“What happened? Why are you crying?”

“”m  _ not  _ crying! And because he doesn’t want me! Charlie was in trouble and texted me, and I had to leave him. At the club and all. And I thought I’d never find him again. But then I did. I found him today and I was so overjoyed – but he doesn’t want me,” Dean sniffed.

“He’s at the school? Is he new?” Sam asked, because of course he wouldn’t know who was new or not. “Maybe, you know, I can help you win him over. What class does he share with you?”

“No, Sam, he’s a teacher. I’m just some dumb kid compared to him. And he made it very clear we can’t be anything, ever,” Dean huffed out angrily, though his mind flashed back to the image of the Omega sitting in his chair, his face buried in his hands. “At least, I thought so. I went back in after and he seemed just as upset as me.”

“Oh!” Sam grinned at Dean. Dean stared at his little brother, stunned. He’d bared his soul to Sam and the kid thought this was funny?

“Oh what?” Dean snapped out. Sam’s jaw dropped as his nose twitched.

“Dude, no! Just, I don’t think it’s as hopeless as you say,” Sam chirped anxiously. “I bet he does care for you and didn’t want to push you away, but Dean, he’s a teacher. He’s gotta be careful. He can get into a lot of trouble for having a relationship with a student – especially a minor.”

“But what can we do? Sam, I – he’s –“ Dean floundered, the words refusing to come. He knew Cas was special, not just biology special, but  _ special _ . The little time they’d spent at the club had made that clear and he wanted so much more time with him, to be able to find out more about the man. Did he like classic rock? Burgers? How about Road trips?

“You gotta take it slow, Dean. You gotta be careful, make sure no one suspects either of you of anything. Just do little things. Get to know him, show him you haven’t forgotten him. Let him know you’ll wait till it’s safe. I’m betting once it is, he’ll be amenable to the idea of getting to know you better.”

Dean stared at Sam and suddenly, something occurred to him. “Dude, you’re like twelve! Why am I coming to you for relationship advice – and how are you even giving it to me?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “I read, jerk. And,” It was Sam’s turn to blush, “I think I met someone today. Her name is Eileen. She’s two years older but she’s in my grade – but it’s not because she’s dumb!” Sam hurried to explain, “She’s just had some trouble that held her back.”

“Wait, should I have dad give you the birds and the bees talk?” Dean grinned halfheartedly, attempting to steer the conversation back away from him. He had a lot to think about. Sam had some good advice. And now that he had the chance, he was almost certain Cas had tried to say the same thing, but Dean had been so stunned that he was being rejected by his own True Mate that it hadn’t even registered in his brain what the Creative Writing teacher had been saying.

Sam was right, this wasn’t nearly as hopeless as Dean had thought. With a lighter, more hopeful tinge to his scent, Dean might even make it past the parents with minimal questioning. Which was good, because he needed to head straight for his room and think about what he could do.

Turned out, not much. Not without risking everything. So he wrote little notes, and signed them anonymously, leaving them in the teacher’s desk. Sometimes, he’d have things to accompany the notes. A plate of cookies one day, a little pewter bee another day. Tiny mementos that showed he’d been listening and taking in what kinds of things Castiel liked.

In return, he’d write little ‘get to know me too’ facts into his notes. Little things, like, “I like pie,” “My favorite songs are Led Zeppelin’s Ramble on and Traveling Riverside Blues,” and that his favorite color was blue.

Well, it might not have been before, but sure as hell was now.

Every day in class was torture. Seeing, hearing,  _ smelling _ Castiel up close. Knowing he couldn’t toe over the line even the slightest bit. But he couldn’t give up. And it was hurting him to see that Castiel seemed to be declining. He looked tired and sick most of the time. But he’d brighten briefly at whatever Dean’s newest offering was, even as he smelled conflicted. So, Dean kept bringing them. Anything that he  _ could _ do, he would.

He didn’t expect the day that Cas asked him to stop.

“What do you mean, stop?”

“You can’t keep bringing me gifts and leaving me notes, Dean. Someone will catch you someday, and questions will be asked. We won’t be able to hide what happened,” Castiel said reluctantly.

“You  _ like  _ those things I leave you, I can smell it! Students give their teachers shit all the time. Why am I any more suspicious than them? And you weren’t my teacher the one fucking time we had sex! There’s  _ nothing _ to  _ hide _ !”

“Dean, for god’s sake, you have to be quiet! And stop this. I’m already under a great deal of scrutiny. I’m insanely young for a first-year teacher, and an Omega to boot – “

“What does that have to do with anything?” Dean demanded.

“It means that I’m not always judged for my skill. It took me nearly a year longer than most other students – all of whom were Alphas except a handful of Beta’s - to qualify for this position because my judgement was in question. Because they tried to wash me out of the program. Because they think I’m less as a person simply because I’m an Omega.”

“Well, that’s stupid. You’re like, the smartest person I know,” Dean said.

Cas sighed, “While I appreciate the sentiment, I would appreciate even more if you would leave me alone for the rest of the year. This can’t continue. The looks, the notes, the gifts. All of it.”

Dean’s jaw clenched angrily. Sam had been wrong. Cas cared more about his job than him. How were a few little things like that going to cause any problems? They weren’t, that’s what! Cas was being unreasonable.

Castiel winced at the angry devastation that touched nearly all his senses. His hand twitched like he wanted to reach out to Dean but remained down at his side. “I’m sorry, Dean. I really am.”

“Yeah, whatever, Cas. I see how it is. I’m good enough to fuck but I’m not important to you at all,” Dean’s voice was too loud and hitched despite his anger and he knew he had to get out of there before he broke down. Blinded by the anger and the tears, the roiling feeling in his stomach, he stomped out of the classroom, nearly knocking over the janitor on his way out sending the mop bucket rolling down the hallway, sloshing water everywhere it went. Dean didn’t care, didn’t even slow as he ran through the slippery mess, the janitor staring after him with wide eyes.

Dean was super glad that Sam had stayed home sick that day and that Charlie and Benny had clubs to attend to after school, because he just got into his car and drove. Dean didn’t return till late that night, sneaking into his room and quietly shutting the door behind him, flinging himself to his bed face first and burying his head under the pillows.

The door creaked open and he stiffened. He’d been numb for hours, but the tears lurked beneath the surface, burning his eyes. That choking feeling rising up in his throat. He bit his lip to hold it all back, but when a soft hand soothed down his back and a weight settled on his bed, he couldn’t stop the sob that broke free.

“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Mary’s gentle voice only made him sob harder as he turned to bury his face in her hair. The sweet smell of apple pie and warm sunshine that normally radiated from his mother, usually grounded him in his more painful moments, not doing nearly as much as it used to. “Dean?”

Another noise at the door and John came in, kneeling down beside the bed, looking at his son in concern, then back up to Mary. She shook her head with the best  _ I don’t know _ gesture she could make without moving her shoulders.

“Dean, do you want to talk?” John’s voice rumbled out as gently as he could, but it still came out harsher than he intended. Dean shook his head and just clung to his mother, though the sobs quieted down a little.

Dean finally pulled away from his mother and wiped at his face, feeling ashamed for the breakdown. A small sound found him looking up at Sam’s face peeking around the doorframe, afraid to come in, everyone around him smelling concerned.

“Dean, are you all right? What happened?” Mary asked, voice calm but her scent was anxious, worried. Dean shrugged. The sobs had died out but he still had a lump in his throat and an ache in his chest and if he started to talk now, he knew he’d be bawling like a fucking baby. Again.

Sam creeped in and stood beside their mother, peeking over her shoulder, leaning a hand on John’s.

“Sam, maybe you should go back to bed,” John suggested. Sam shook his head emphatically, wide eyes on Dean.

“Dean,” Sam whispered, “Is it…” eyes widening, he stopped with a quick look between their parents. John looked at him sharply and his nose flared at the guilt coming off of Sam and the fear now coming from Dean. John narrowed his eyes.

“All right, that’s enough. I want to know what’s going on here, right now. Sam, you know something. If Dean won’t talk, you will,” John growled.

Sam looked wild eyed between Dean and John and then straightening up and lifting his chin defiantly, “No, I won’t. Winchesters always keep their word. And I promised not to say.”

Johns face grew furious, and everyone but Mary flinched at the strong, angry scent wafting off of him. Mary laid a gentle arm on his and looked at him with a shake of her head. He deflated, running a hand over his face with a loud sigh.

Mary looked at their youngest as John composed himself and she spoke, “That’s commendable, Sam, to keep your word. Your integrity is something to be proud of, but always be careful who you give your word to, and consider if it would do more harm than good to keep it. I know it’s Dean, and of course you should trust your brother. And you can trust us as well. We won’t force you to break your word.”

After a few, long moments of silence, as John reined in his temper with Mary’s help, he spoke again, his voice and scent calmer than before, but equally concerned and earnest. “I just want to know what’s going on. Dean, it’s obvious something’s happened. I’m your father and I want to help. Just talk to me. To us. What could you possibly tell Sam that you’d be afraid to tell your parents?”

Dean looked at his family resignedly. The worried faces and smells were too much for him. And he broke down and told them about Cas. Not everything. Not how they’d met. Just that they had, that they’d instantly been attracted to each other, but that Cas wanted nothing to do with him.

That Castiel was a teacher.

He tried to keep the fact that they’d had sex from his parents, but somehow, they’d sussed it out. And now John was more furious than Dean had ever seen him. And not furious at him but furious at the teacher. John struggled to speak around his anger and Dean hurried to fill in the silence, “Please, Dad, it’s not Cas’s fault. It’s mine…don’t…don’t say anything to the school!”

“Dean, this isn’t right – he’s a goddamned teacher! You’re a minor!” John paced the room, grabbing at his hair, knuckles white, breathing hard as he tried to keep himself calm enough.

“I can’t…he’s not, we’re not together. He made it perfectly clear that he couldn’t be with me. That it was a one time thing, okay? It’s not gonna happen again. This is his first gig as a teacher, you can’t ruin this for him!” Dean yelled back, panic lacing tone and scent at the thought of what his father could do. Cas might not want him, but Dean still wanted the man to be happy. And teaching made him happy.

“Why shouldn’t I?” John yelled back.

Sam whimpered against Mary as she glared back at her husband. “John, you’re just upsetting them. Dean has said it’s over, so why don’t you trust your own son and leave it alone?”

“Being over  _ now _ , doesn’t make what happened right!” John wheeled to face them all again. Though still angry, he was bringing it back under control.

“Please, Dad, promise me you won’t get Cas fired?” Dean begged him.

John opened his mouth for a hot retort when Mary gave him yet another pointed look. Once again, he deflated. In a sullen, resigned tone, he promised. “But if anything changes, if this isn’t over, I  _ will _ say something about it. You can rest assured of that!” He stomped out of the room and down the stairs. Dean heard the front door slam and he winced.

“It’s okay sweetie, Dad is just going to clear his head. You have to admit this was all a shock to us and I’m not very happy about it either, but what’s done is done. Are you going to be all right?” Mary reached for Dean but this time he pulled away.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just a kid, right? I’ll get over it,” He mumbled sullenly. “I’m tired, I think I’d like to sleep now.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Remember, I’m here for you, all right?” She dropped a kiss on his head as she stood. He wrapped himself up in his blankets and didn’t watch his mother or his brother leave.

If Dean had thought it was bad before, it was even worse now.  He dreaded his last class period of the day, and debated dropping it – it was only an elective after all – but it was his only chance to see Cas. To watch him without suspicion.

They didn’t speak another non-class related word to the other, but Dean couldn’t help wishing things had been different. That he’d found a way to convince Cas not to push him away.

Couldn’t help but worry about Cas as the man seemed to come in looking even worse every damn day. Was this affecting him as much as it was affecting Dean? But why did he say the things he had? Why did he insist on absolutely zero contact? Surely the risks weren’t as great as Cas had said?

But that was the status quo now and Dean just had to grin and bear it. In the meantime, he’d take what he could get, and if he daydreamed about his non-existent future with Cas, nobody else had to know.

Just a few days later, just a few days after he revealed everything - well, nearly everything – to his parents, Cas didn’t show up. But with as sick and tired as he’d been looking for weeks, Dean wasn’t overly concerned, figuring that Cas was taking a well needed day (or more) of rest. He just wished he knew a way to find the teacher outside of school, to check on him, find out if he was all right. To help him.

Instead, he’d have to be patient and wait for Cas to return to school.

Only he didn’t. Never even had the chance.

The second day of Cas’s absence, another teacher came in in his place, canceled the class, and proceeded to take down all of Cas’s personal things and box them up. Itching to find out, Dean waited for the last of the class to file out before he approached the teacher to ask.

“What happened to Mr. Novak, is he okay?”

“Mr. Novak has been fired for inappropriate behavior.”

Dean felt his heart rise into his throat at the implications. “Wh-what inappropriate behavior?” Fuck, why did he have to stammer? It only made him look guilty of something.

“The kind that gets teachers fired. Never should have hired an Omega to begin with…” the teacher mumbled, obviously not expecting Dean to hear the second part of the sentence, but Dean had always had fairly good hearing.

“Bullshit!”

“What?”

“I said, bullshit! Ca- Mr. Novak was a great teacher! Being an Omega has nothing to do with your teaching ability.” Dean growled. He was too defensive, they would suspect, he was going to get in trouble, this was what Cas had warned him about…

Only, what the fuck did it matter anymore? Cas had already lost his job. How could Dean make it any worse by sticking up for him?

“Sit down, Mr. Winchester,” the teacher said coldly.

“No! Why was Cas fired?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Winchester, why  _ was  _ he fired? I thought you would have firsthand knowledge of it. Certainly, more than any other student in this room would.” The teacher leered at Dean, “It just proves what I’ve always said, Omega’s can’t handle responsibilities. If they’re so desperate they’d fuck a teenager, then they obviously can’t control themselves and he had no business being a teacher.”

The teacher didn’t even see the punch coming. Dean may have been a teen, but he was tall and he was big and he packed a hell of a punch. He raised his fist for another hit but someone grabbed him. He yelled and struggled, but the one restraining hand became two, then four, then six as he was dragged away from the teacher now sprawled on the floor with blood dripping from his nose.

Between his brother and his two best friends, Dean was steered outside and to his car. Benny slammed him against the door, “Calm down, brotha! You just hit a teacher! Will you finally  _ tell  _ us what’s going on?”

Dean’s anger drained and he slid down the side of the Impala, Benny letting go in shock when Dean went limp. Tears rolled down his face for the second time in less than a week. “It’s all my fault,” he sobbed, “All my fault.” Dean’s head dropped to his knees and his hands came up over the back of his head to grip at his hair painfully. “Oh, my god, he must hate me so fucking much. I’ve ruined his life…” the words came out in broken whispers, choked with sobs.

An arm slid around his shoulder and pressed him into a hug. He went unresisting, not even registering the arm, the pull, the warmth.

Sam asked quietly, his words somehow breaking through Dean’s sobs, “What happened to Cas, Dean?”

Benny and Charlie exchanged confused glances. Benny spoke up, “The Creative Writing teacher?”

“They fired him, ‘cause of me,” Dean whispered. “It’s what he warned me about…and I didn’t listen. I…I gotta make sure he’s okay.” Dean’s head whipped up and he looked at Charlie frantically, “Charlie, you could help me. I need to check on him, you can find out where he lives, right?”

“Well…yeah, I could, but…Dean, why?” She said slowly.

“Charlie, please?” Sam begged on Dean’s behalf, “It’s important.”

“Okay, but, I wish to god someone would tell me what’s going on. Come back to my place, I’ll get that for ya, but Dean? I don’t think you should be driving right now.” Charlie held a hand out and he stared at it for a long moment before he reached into his pocket and handed her his keys. Benny’s mouth dropped at the action. Frankly, so did Charlie’s. She hadn’t expected the situation to be serious enough to make giving up the keys to his Baby barely a blip to him. She’d expected railing and ranting and “don’t scratch her” and “Never gonna happen, smalls,” but the weight of the keys pressing down in her hands were proof enough that she wasn’t dreaming. Benny helped Dean up and into the backseat, Sam crawling in beside him. Benny exchanged another look with Charlie and both got into the front, making the quick drive to her place, and – coincidentally – her laptop.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know there was hopes for Protective Alpha!Dean / Jealous!Dean as his fellow students said things about their 'hot teacher' and I definitely didn't go that route buuuuuuut, I hope that what I did do (and with more future protective Dean stuff on its way) will satisfy that craving! let me know :D
> 
> Next update is planned for friday night/saturday morning (basically, when I get outta work and get set up at my computer)


	4.  Shit Hits the Fan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things aren't going very well for Cas...it's just one thing after another. What else can go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shift back to Cas's POV
> 
> Also, some of you may get to a point in this and go "Wait a second. Nope, that is not possible!"  
> Please read the end notes for an explanation on how yes, it is possible.

It had been five months since Dean walked into his classroom and with each day that passed, both Alpha and Omega died inside. Cas had thought the last word had been said. But Dean didn’t leave it alone. It wasn’t so much that he was trying to force the issue, but that he was just trying to convince Cas to even talk to him about anything other than schoolwork.

Cas managed to hold on strong.

Dean would bring in gifts and notes, leaving them at his desk anonymously. Always was the hint of, “Don’t forget about me. I’m right here. Ready whenever you want to give us a chance,” the notes providing a way for Cas to learn about Dean the same way that Dean and the rest of the students were slowly learning about Cas. Nothing big, nothing important, but it was stuff that was out there.

And though Cas couldn’t outwardly acknowledge them, they were a bright point in his days. He felt so miserable lately, so tired all the time, that the sight of another get to know you note, or thoughtful gift that proved Dean was paying attention, would buoy him through the class even as he lamented their situation.

And if they made it back home safely in his briefcase every night to be added to the slowly growing collection on his shelf, no one needed to know except for him, the maid and Gabriel.

And out of the maid and Gabe, only Gabriel had any inkling what they were, what the meant to Cas.

On one night, as he admired a particularly well-crafted bumblebee knick-knack, Gabriel dared to speak about the little mementos growing in number. “Cassie, this isn’t healthy. You need a clean break.”

“I don’t want to get rid of my True Mate. I just…I want him to finish school before we start dating, really get to know each other,” Castiel hummed out, replacing the little guy on the shelf and pressing his hand to his stomach. “Ooooo….” He groaned.

“Cassie? Cas, are you all right?” Gabriel asked in concern.

“Yeah, I’m…I’m’ fine. Just a cold I think,” Castiel said with annoyance. Gabriel sniffed the air but smelled no deception and so he let the matter be.

And that’s how things would have stayed, except that Cas thought about Gabriel’s words, and about Dean’s gifts and realized his brother was right. What Dean was doing was dangerous for both of them and gave the teen false hope. While Cas didn’t want to crush his spirit, didn’t want to push him away completely, they couldn’t risk Dean’s continued attention.

Of course, when Cas tried to explain it to Dean, it didn’t go very well. The Alpha reeked of rejection and despair and as soon as Dean left his presence, Castiel collapsed into his chair and covered his face.

It was the right thing to do – so why did he feel so horrible? Surely there was no harm in being friendly? No…no, the risk was too high. Neither of them would bear up under scrutiny. No one would care that Cas hadn’t known, or that he had no intention of allowing anything more to happen.

This had to be done. Castiel knew that. Would just have to accept it and move on, to live with the decision, no matter how sick it made him to think of his Alpha out there, hurt and lost because of  _ him _ . It had to be done and now it was.

It hadn’t been done soon enough.

The call to see Superintendent Crowley and Principle Abaddon was both a surprise and not. He arrived in school four days after he’d forced himself to tell Dean to stop – it had been devastating both to do and to watch – and before he could even get off his aching feet (seriously, how were they aching before he’d even started his day? The depressive funk he’d been in since the start of school was really taking its toll on him) the intercom had crackled to life and summoned him to the office.

With an obviously prepared – and just as obviously relished - speech about how they were sorry to let a teacher as good as Castiel go, they couldn’t, in all conscious, keep on a teacher who had slept with his students. The scandal would do nothing good for their reputation. They were  _ sure _ he’d understand. It had nothing to do with him being an Omega, they would be  _ so sorry _ to see him go.

Castiel didn’t even argue. What would be the point? It wasn’t like they were wrong, now where they? He dragged himself back to his classroom, an escort walking alongside with him, just enough time to grab his coat and his briefcase but nothing else and he left.

Numbly, he made his way home, and up the stairs to his room. He sat on his bed and stared at the wall. He’d lost Dean, he’d lost his dream, and he was stuck here in a house he never wanted to stay in. When his parents found out…well, he should probably pack a bag, just in case. Their opinion of Omega’s, and of himself in particular, had never been high. When they saw the return on their investment was Cas getting fired, they would be furious.

But it was so hard to make himself move. He felt sick. Truthfully, he’d felt sick a lot recently. Sick over the situation with Dean. Hadn’t been sleeping, hadn’t felt up to eating much. What cruel joke had it been to have him meet his True Mate a few years too early?

He was losing everything…what did it matter anymore?

Cas was even too numb to cry. He’d cried a lot over the last 5 months. He would be surprised if he had any tears left in him.

His stomach fluttered suddenly and he prepared himself for the nausea to follow – and froze when he realized that it wasn’t nausea. He wasn’t feeling an urge to grab the nearest trashcan…and it wasn’t gas as he’d so often thought recently. Something inside of him was moving!

Oh god! Oh no! No, no, no, no….

Castiel had thought he was too numb to cry before. He’d been wrong. So very wrong. He collapsed on his side on the bed, curling up around his stomach. Placing a hand across the top of it. The tears fell silently as he felt the movements against his stomach, his hand.

How was this poss…no, he wouldn’t ask that. How had it happened? They’d used a condom – but then he remembered it had broken. Still, he’d been on suppressants – been on them for years in fact.

Wait, would that hurt the baby?

Oh no. Oh god, how was he going to take care of a baby? He sniffled and covered his mouth with his other hand as he tried to make no sounds. He didn’t think anyone was home, but he didn’t want anyone investigating and find him like this.

Another movement, something stronger – a kick perhaps? – and Cas was up on his feet. When his parents got home, when they learned how he’d disgraced them, wasted their money, they  _ would not _ react well. He didn’t think they’d kick out their own son.

But he wasn’t entirely sure they wouldn’t.

And he sure as hell wasn’t telling them about the baby to use as leverage.

He scrambled for a bag, a backpack, something big enough to stuff full, but small enough to carry easily, keep better track of. The big backpack Gabriel had given him sat at the bottom of his closet and he yanked it out. He picked through his clothes to find things that would fit now – and hopefully fit later. He grabbed a couple of special books, his laptop and photos, stuffing the photos inside the books. He hovered near the shelf of knick-knacks he’d gotten from Dean.

Dean was the reason he was in this situation, he thought angrily to himself and he turned away from it.

Only to turn back and snatch up his favorite one, carefully wrap it in a handkerchief and slide it into one of the small, inside pockets where it wouldn’t be easily lost or easily fall out. But that one piece was all that he would allow himself. His backpack didn’t have room for everything he could possibly want to keep. He needed to fill it with emergency supplies.

He had his own bank account, thank god, so he’d have access to that till he emptied it. What else could he possibly need that wouldn’t be missed? He racked his brains, raiding the bathroom for toiletries, aspirin and blockers, then double checking his clothing. Wishing he had a sleeping bag, he folded up his warmest blanket – just in case – and forced it into the bag.

It wasn’t going to close.

He whimpered in dismay and forced himself to stop and step back, sit on the edge of the bed and take deep breaths. He closed his eyes. In, out, in, out. After repeating that a few times, he looked at the backpack again. Cas pulled the blanket back out and folded it differently and grabbed a couple of ties, turning it into a bundle. Now he had more room in the bag. Making sure he had all his chargers he took another look around the room. He had his wallet and phone in his pants, no need to worry about those.

That…that was it. That’s all he could make ready. He picked it all up and brought it downstairs, sliding it into the bottom of the hall closet. He might  _ not  _ get kicked out. But if he did, Cas didn’t think his parents would allow him the luxury of returning to his room to get his bag. This would have to do.

All he could do now was wait.

It was agony.

Using his phone, he browsed the internet for pregnancy advice. He needed to know anyway, and he needed to keep himself occupied while he waited for the other shoe to drop.

Losing himself in the pregnancy sites was easy. Too easy. Cas jumped when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder a few hours later. He looked up to find Metatron looking at him angrily, and Hester with disappointment, both shaking their heads at him.

“Castiel, Castiel, Castiel…” his dad tsked. Though his face and voice was neutral, his scent almost gagged Cas. Hester remained quiet. “I knew having an Omega for a son was just asking for trouble. First chance you got, what did you do? Fuck the first knot you saw. You didn’t even care if he was a kid, did you? All you saw was a knot,” Metatron hissed. Cas shrunk away from him. Oh, this was going worse than he’d thought. “If I knew how little self-control you would have, I wouldn’t have bothered helping you through school, I’d have married you off. Now you’re damaged goods. You’re no good to us. We don’t want you here. So leave. Now.”

Without waiting for a response, his father stalked away, leaving Castiel alone with his mother. He turned to Hester, the protest on his lips – dying as he encountered cold, uncaring eyes. He swallowed and straightened up, trying anyways, “Mother-“

“Don’t mother me. I’m not your mother anymore. You were already told. Get out.”

Slowly, Castiel rose from his seat, unplugged his phone and stashed it, charger and all, into his pocket. He grabbed his coat from the stand and slipped it on and grabbed his backpack out of the closet.

He picked up his keys from the dish by the door and his mother’s hand closed over his. “No, it’s not your car. That car is in  _ my  _ name and you don’t get to keep it. Have a nice life.” She squeezed till he dropped the keys and she snatched them up.

He hadn’t counted on that.

That would make things a lot harder. Transportation was highly necessary. And he could have slept in it if needed. How was he going to – Cas shook his head and opened the door. He stepped outside and slammed it shut behind him.

He took a small amount of pleasure at the way the walls rattled. He was almost certain something had fallen off the wall and hit the floor, making the glass break. Cas started walking when his phone beeped. Pausing, he opened up the message app, to find messages from his older brothers – Mike and Luke – to don’t bother contacting them.

Cas slipped the phone back into his pocket and kept walking.

He couldn’t call Gabe or Balthazar for help either. Neither of them were in the country right now. Gabriel was in India and Balthazar was touring Europe.

He was all alone.

Hours later found him hiding out in a library against a sudden snow squall as he used the internet there to look for jobs or places to stay that wouldn’t use up all his cash the first week. There was a job posting at a Gas N Sip not too far from there. He looked out the window. Maybe it wasn’t so bad out? Cas would have to leave when the library closed anyway. Better to get this done before it got worse out. He could apply for the job and take a motel room for the night and see how it played out in the morning.

Yes, that sounded like a plan.

It was much colder outside than he had thought it would be, and even layering an extra hoody on top of his sweater under his usual trench coat wasn’t doing any good. At least the interview seemed to go well and Nora had offered him a place pending approval from her higher ups.

Walking with a lighter step, Cas found the nearest, cheapest motel and booked a room for the night. He could do this. Many people in worse situations had pulled themselves up by the bootstraps. Why shouldn’t he be able to do the same?

Only, three weeks later, his situation hadn’t improved any. It had, in fact, gotten worse. Cas had been too sick to do the job correctly and he’d gotten fired after the first week. He’d not any luck finding a new one and motel rooms were expensive. He was running out of money fast.

The last straw was when he’d collapsed during another interview, and the interviewer had called him an ambulance. Where Cas had been poked and prodded and kept overnight – and finally let go with an admonishment to take care of himself and the baby better and a now completely empty bank account as they charged him for the ambulance ride and the copay. No longer having insurance meant paying upfront. Especially as soon as the hospital realized they couldn’t bill him later with no address to send the bills too.

Now Castiel stood outside the hospital, clutching his bag and his blanket and wondering what to do next. He had no job, and the money he had left in his pocket wasn’t enough to give him a roof over his head. But, there were shelters in town. He’d just…he’d have to go to one of those. There was no way he should be out on the streets, not with…his hand crept down to cradle his stomach. He still wasn’t showing and that had concerned the doctor at this stage of the pregnancy.

It was overwhelming. It was terrifying. But he could do this.

He had to.

Slowly, exhausted, he headed for the closest shelter with determination. It was already almost dark, and the cold was biting. Cas hadn’t expected to be turned away at the door. The woman inside was apologetic, and truly sympathetic. But the words, “I wish I could help you, but I can’t create rooms or beds out of thin air. Why don’t you try this place,” followed him from one shelter to the next. Till morning had come and he’d walked all night.

Cas’s feet ached worse than they ever had, his face was red and freezing, his fingers and toes painfully so, and his stomach gnawed at him. He finally stumbled to a stop, nearly collapsing where he stood, only a quickly thrown out arm grabbing at a stone wall kept him from becoming a puddle on the ground.

Finding himself a bench, Cas limped over to it and slumped on it. He tried to take stock of the situation. No money for a place to stay and all the shelters were full. He was clean-ish (the last time he’d had a shower was the last time he’d been able to afford a room somewhere for the night. That had been 2 nights ago) and so were most of his clothes. Nobody seemed to be hiring, so he couldn’t get  _ more _ money. But if they were, this was the best time for it, when he still looked somewhat presentable.

Ignoring the fact that he looked sick and tired and hadn’t shaved in a couple of days. But clean was important. He had that at least. He had to keep trying.

But that left Cas the question, where would he sleep tonight?

He couldn’t just keep walking all night, from shelter to shelter. And it was too cold to stay out on the streets. How did people do this? Though, he supposed, when you’re given little choice in the matter, you do whatever you need to.

So, really, that’s what Cas needed. He needed advice from the experts. The ones who had had no choice, as he no longer did.

He slowly lifted his head and tried to remember where he was, which way he should go to accomplish his new goal. But he was so tired. The brief respite at the hospital hadn’t been very restful, as anxious as he was with the amount of money he was bleeding just being there, all the tests they ran, all the condescending advice they’d given.

Like he was doing this to his child on purpose. Like he’d been given a choice. Well, screw them! He’d like to know what  _ they  _ would have done if they were dropped in Castiel’s position, with no support network to call upon.

Cas blinked the thoughts slowly away, trying to remember what he was doing again. Standing up. Right. He needed to stand up so he could find help. He struggled to do so, but the world went black before he’d gone a full step away from the bench.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pregnancy. Yup. So, the older I get, the more I interact with other people and experience things on my own, the more I realize just HOW MUCH people don't know about certain things : like women's health issues or pregnancy.
> 
> It is very possible to find out much later in pregnancy that you are, in fact, pregnant.
> 
> In college, we did not believe this, so when a friend of ours found out over xmas they were 8 months pregnant, we all scoffed about that. how could she NOT KNOW? Not that we cared, one way or another. We still supported her. But we just didn't understand.
> 
> What is everyone's first clue that you're pregnant? Missed periods. Great. what about women who don't get those? Yeah, that happens. If you're into sports, your periods are...off. sometimes nonexistent. if you have something like Polycistic then you might get 2 in a space of 10 years if at all (i found that out as I was graduating college. i had never HEARD of that before). if you're on specific kinds of birth control (like Depo Prevera) it's normal not to get one at all - hope you don't miss your next shot!
> 
> What's your second clue? Morning sickness? not everyone gets that. or they get it differently. I didn't get morning sickness - until i started taking doctor prescribed medications. and then it wasn't just in the morning. it was whenever i smelled food or thought about food. I was starving and couldn't eat at all.
> 
> third clue - weight gain? I lost 20 pounds in the first four months. and i KNEW i was pregnant, so that SCARED me.
> 
> fourth clue - the baby starts to move. that doesn't happen right away either. much later in fact. And at first, the little flutters are more like "wait, was that the baby moving, or was that just gas?" you don't really KNOW it's the baby until the baby's big enough (and i was lucky enough that mine didn't kick. she just liked to stretch...which was visually interesting to watch. 
> 
> so yeah, the fact that Cas didn't actually know until just then? Completely plausible. I promise.


	5. Desperately Searching

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean doesn't know what happened to Cas, but he's determined to find out and help him if needed, if he can.
> 
> If Cas will allow it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's today! it's 3am EST so i'm counting it as Tuesday - and I even finished a picture for this chapter! I'm rather proud of it. Hope you like both the chapter and the picture :D

 

Charlie had been as good as her word, and she’d found Cas’s address right off the bat. With hardly an explanation or even a thanks, Dean snatched the paper from her hand and ran out of the house, hopped into the car and drove away.

He arrived at the address and gulped. Dean stared down to make sure he’d gotten it right, then back up again. It wasn’t a mansion by any means, but it was a large enough place that made Dean think Castiel’s family was well off.

Well off enough that they – Cas – probably wouldn’t appreciate some kid barging in to make sure Cas was all right after being fired from his job. Cas could probably find another job easy, and in the meantime, he’d be safe and sound. Dean had almost convinced himself to drive away, when something wafted into the Impala. Faint but familiar – and utterly freaked out.

That decided him.

He left the Impala parked on the side of the road, praying nobody would hit his Baby, and got out, jogging up to the front door. He rang the bell and shoved his hands in his pockets, waiting. It didn’t take long for someone to answer the door.

“Hi, I’m Dean Winchester – I’m one of C – Mr. Novak’s students and I wanted to make sure he was okay after…after the bad news.”

“Castiel doesn’t live here anymore,” the man, shorter than Dean but with wildly curly hair and a haughty tone, tried to shut the door.

Dean pushed his boot in quickly enough to prevent it, “I’m sorry, sir, but if you could tell me where to find him – “

“You are wasting your time. I have no interest in the whereabouts of Castiel. He is no longer our son, no longer welcome in our house,” the man hissed, shoving harder at the door.

Stunned, Dean let him, the door slamming shut in his face. Dean stared at it with wide eyes, frozen.

Oh god...Cas had…Cas had lost  _ everything _ . Because of him. What had he done?

Dean didn’t remember driving home. Didn’t remember walking past his parents or Sam. But at some point, he’d done all that. At some point, he’d arrived in his room and just dropped onto his bed. He tried to think.

Obviously, he needed to find Cas. It was even more urgent that Dean find him, make sure he’s all right. No job, no home, no family. All because of him. Dean had to find a way to make it right. And maybe – but no, Dean squashed that hope before it could form. As much as he wanted – this wasn’t about him. It was about Cas.

His door was shoved open and his father stormed in, house phone still gripped in his hands. Fury and disappointment flowed off him, his eyes narrowed, teeth gritted.

“Dean, what the hell? You’ve been suspended from school! I can’t believe you punched a fucking teacher! What is going on with you?” John yelled. Dean looked up at him. That’s right, he had. He almost giggled hysterically. This day was just getting better and better. “This is not a laughing matter, Dean!”

“No, it’s not,  _ dad _ . But maybe  _ teachers _ who are responsible for the molding of teenage minds should maybe not be, I dunno, preaching Omega slander in school?” Dean yelled back. He was sick and tired of the guilt he was feeling. And he didn’t have time for an argument with his father. He needed to find Cas.

“What?” It was clear from John’s tone that he hadn’t expected that.

“Yeah, what would you have done if someone had been talking shit about mom, just because she was an Omega?” Dean stood up to face his dad, nearly the same height these days.

John’s eyes narrowed even further and he hissed, “Is that what this is about? About that goddamn teacher you had sex with? Dean, you’re a minor and he isn’t! You got into a fight at school because of that teacher?” He lifted the cordless phone up and started punching buttons, “That’s it. I’m not going to sit by while you ruin your life because some idiot – Omega or Alpha, I don’t fucking care – can’t keep it in his pants around children.”

John growled out the words and Dean bristled, “I’m not a fucking child! And it’s too late, Cas was already sacked! So save yourself the trouble,” Dean snatched the phone out of his father’s hand and threw it out the door, “and leave me the fuck alone.”

John opened his mouth again, father and son standing toe to toe with equally angry glares and angry scents curling around them and through the room. Gagging came from the door that sounded like Sam and then Mary stepped inside the room.

“Why don’t we all just, step aside here and give everyone a chance to calm down, okay?” She broke the tension and John turned on his heel, stalking out of the room, Sam quickly stepping aside for the Alpha. As soon as John disappeared, Sam darted inside, ran to the window and flung it open. It was cold, but it helped Dean calm down, and the harsh scents dissipate.

Mary looked at her son sadly, opened her mouth again and closed it. With a shake of her head, she turned and followed her husband out of the room, leaving the brothers alone. Despite the open window, Dean could smell the disappointment and confusion that she’d tried to hide.

“Dean, what happened? Why’s dad so angry?”

“Ugh…I might have done something stupid. Again.” Dean finally sat back down on the edge of his bed, running a hand over his face.

“What did you do?” Sam’s eyes widened, his scent curious but wary.

Dean snorted, then coughed. “I punched a teacher.”

“ _ You  _ punched a  _ teacher?” _ Sam repeated skeptically, “I mean, I knew you did something, to have Benny and Charlie dragging you out of the classroom, and I know you’re not school’s greatest fan, but, you’d never punch a teacher!”

“Well, obviously, that’s not true, now is it, Sammy?” Dean said bitterly, spreading his arms out wide. “Cause that’s exactly what I did! But you know something? I don’t regret it for a second!”

“Can I ask you why?”

“Yeah, well, have you met Mr. Roman?” Dean asked.

Sam shuddered, “Uh, yeah. He’s really creepy.”

“He’s hella fuckin’ creepy. And apparently has a hate on Omegas. Said Cas should never have been hired to begin with, and the fact that he’d…that we’d…been involved…was proof of it.”

“What happened to Cas?” Sam breathed.

“They fired him Sammy, because of me. And…it’s worse than that. Cause I wanted to make sure he’s all right. And now, now I can’t find him and I have no idea where to look!”

“Can’t Charlie – ?” Sam stopped himself, afraid someone was listening and he’d out another of their friends’ secrets. Charlie being good at computers was no secret. The fact she could hack just about anything, very much so.

“Already did. Cas got kicked out and I got the door slammed in my face. He’s all alone out there, Sam and I gotta find him but I have no idea what to do! And I can’t ask mom or dad! You saw how they were!”

Sam nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “I’ll help you look, Dean.”

“Thanks Sam,” Dean whispered. Sam lunged forward and wrapped him in a hug and Dean returned it with a sniff. “You’re the best brother ever.”

Sam smiled, “I know.”

Despite Sam’s help, Dean couldn’t find any trace of Castiel. They’d looked up shelters and soup kitchens and other schools he could try to apply to and nothing. By the time Dean finally caved and asked Charlie for her magical hacking fingers again – which she’d only provide if he actually told her what happened this time, payment upfront - three weeks had passed and Dean was certain it was too late.

But he couldn’t give up. He’d been lucky (if you wanted to call it that. Dean did. His father did not agree) that he’d been suspended for two weeks because he hit a teacher. And when the third week had come, he’d thought nothing of blowing off classes to drive around town looking for Cas.

Two days after he’d finally gone to her, Charlie found something.

“I got a hit, but…I don’t know how good it’s going to be,” Charlie said in a whisper at lunch time.

“What do you mean?” Dean paused, his forkful of whatever-this-was clattering back to his lunch tray unseen. “Anything you can tell me…”

“Look,” Charlie craned her neck around to make sure no one was listening in, “Okay, I hacked his bank records, but it doesn’t look good. He’s been staying in the cheapest motel in town for a while and um, it looks like the last of his money was drained out of the account yesterday. At the…at the hospital.”

Dean paled and he stopped breathing.

“Dean, breathe, oh god, breathe!” Charlie panicked, drawing attention to them. Dean didn’t care. What had Cas been doing in the hospital?

Cold water splashed his face and Dean gasped in a breath, reeling back and looking up to see Benny staring down at them both – when had Dean hit the floor? – with an empty cup in his hands. Charlie slumped in relief, letting her forehead hit his shoulder. Benny put down the cup and reached out both hands to help them up.

“Will someone,  _ finally _ tell me what’s goin’ on ‘round here?” Benny complained, sitting down at the table, picking his bag up from the floor where he’d dropped it and settling his lunch tray, picking up the few things that had spilled from it when he’d reached the table.

Dean heaved a sigh and ran a shaking hand down his face. Which was still wet. He cursed and grabbed Benny’s napkins and wiped it clean. Looking up at his best friends he sighed again, “Yeah, okay, but not here. And, I could use your help too. Wanna skip out early?”

Benny dropped his food back on the plate, “Finally. Didn’t have much of an appetite anyways.”

Tossing their food in the garbage and getting passes to the library, the three of them booked it as soon as they were out of sight of the hall monitors. Benny got in the front with Dean, while Charlie sat in the back after Dean pressed a crumpled paper from his wallet into her hand. She looked at it quizzically before her mouth went round in a silent “Oh.”

Dean spilled the entire story on their drive to the hospital, Benny staying thankfully quiet, his scent surprised, but supportive. Dean finished letting them in on everything just before they arrived and he parked across from the entrance, careful not to block emergency vehicles. Benny looked out in confusion. “All right, brotha, this is where ya lost me. Why are we here, if we know he ain’t?”

“Last known sighting of him. Now that we know he’s been staying in motels before this, that explains why Dean couldn’t find him at any of the shelters he’d been checking,” Charlie piped up.

“Right, so I figure, we find the closest ones to the hospital and work our way out from there. Charlie, you got us a route?”

“Uh, yes, first one’s about 10 blocks from here. Up on the corner of Abbot and Dermott,” Charlie read out from her phone. Dean nodded and put his Baby back in drive and got her moving.

Dean had been hoping, but not expecting, to find Cas at the first shelter they found. Sometimes the shelter volunteers remembered him, but most of the time they did not. In a little over 2 hours, they’d checked every shelter they knew of, and a couple more they’d been pointed to from previous shelters. That meant they’d doubled back a few times.

With each miss, Dean was getting more frustrated and worried. Knuckles whitening on the steering wheel, Benny trying to emit calmness as he kept an eye out as they drove. He’d had Cas as a teacher as well, just not the same period as Dean, so at least he knew who to look for.

“I still can’t believe yer luck, Dean. That the guy you met at the club is  _ also _ your teacher,” Benny chuckled, “And that he’s yer True Mate. I mean, what are the odds?”

“Well,” Charlie started but her scent spiked excitedly and she started pounding on the back of Dean’s seat, “Dean! Dean, I see him!!! Pull over!”

Not losing any time, Dean jerked the wheel over and parked the Impala, yanking the keys from the ignition none too gently and stumbling out of the car. He looked around frantically, trying to spot what Charlie had. Benny and Charlie tumbled out a little more gracefully and Charlie had barely pointed across the road to a sidewalk bench before Dean darted across to it.

His heart was in his throat, his feet hitting the concrete hard as he ran. Dean saw Cas stand shakily, something was wrong – duh, of course there was, he’d been in the fucking hospital! – he took a step and…

Dean caught him before he could hit the ground. But Cas wasn’t a small person, and as light as he was – should he be so light? - he took Dean down with him.

  


“Cas? Cas!” Dean clutched at the Omega. Cas’s eyes had rolled back in his head and he was out cold. Dean whined and tried to pull him closer.

But he was already as close as he could get. “Cas, Cas, please, please wake up…” Charlie hit her knees beside them and grabbed an arm, checking his pulse. Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away from Cas. He held his breath when he saw Castiel’s eyes twitch, blinking open, focusing on the Alpha, on Dean.

“Dean?” he whispered, unbelievingly. He raised a shaking arm to touch Dean’s face and Dean leaned into it, closing his eyes.

“Oh, thank god,” Dean whispered, “You’re gonna be all right Cas, I’m taking you home, okay?”

“Home?” Cas asked in a dazed voice, “Dean, are you real?” Cas’s arm slid from Deans face to grip his shoulder before it fell away, too weak to keep it up.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m real,” Dean choked out, “Benny, help me get him up.”

“Sure thing, brotha,” Benny agreed. Charlie helped too, keeping Dean balanced as they got him back on his feet. Charlie slipped Cas’s backpack – and the blanket tied to it – off his back, enabling Dean and Benny to help Cas walk across the street and over to the car.

The ex-teacher grumbled disoriented, “I can walk,” he insisted in a low rumble.

“I’m sure ya can, Cas,” Dean humored him, knowing that even if it was true, this was as much about the Alpha needing to make sure Cas was okay as it was about him being able to touch the man in any way. The idea of pulling away, losing Cas again, of this turning into a dream scared him so much that he just couldn’t let go now that Dean had found him.

They reached the car and Dean didn’t even bother with the front seat. For the second time that month, he tossed Charlie the keys, then with Benny’s help, Dean got Cas into the backseat and followed after, pulling the Omega in close and drawing in deep breaths.

Cas smelled off…but that was likely from Dean’s cold or from Cas being on the streets, and it was distracting Dean from the scents he was trying to catch. Breathing a sigh of relief that he’d found Cas in time – in time for what, he didn’t know but Cas was obviously not doing well – he basked in the presence of his (not his!) Omega.

Castiel’s breathing slowed, the Omega’s body turned into Dean, curled against him, his hands reaching around and clutching at Dean’s shirt, his nose buried in Dean’s neck. Whatever he scented there had made him relax and Dean was positive that Cas had fallen asleep.

Feeling brave, Dean leaned down to drop a kiss on that messy head of Cas’s, and then leaned on it, stroking the dark, uncut hairs. Dean didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to let Cas just walk out again until Dean could make sure he’d be okay on his own. He had to fix this, somehow.

Charlie pulled into the driveway and Dean looked up as the rumbling of the engine ceased. She twisted to look at him from the driver’s seat. “So, I can walk home from here, all good but…you want Benny and I to help you get him inside? Face your parents?”

Dean gulped in a breath. “Yes, to the first, no to the second. Probably don’t wanna be here for that. Thanks for, for everything guys,” Dean swallowed past a lump in his throat. The first time he’d felt the slightest bit happy in over a month it felt like.

“Shoulda come to us sooner, brotha,” Benny chided gently, “but no problem, cher.” He pushed open the door and came around to help Dean with the Omega, who stirred as he was moved. Cas blinked his eyes open again, leaning heavily on Dean.

The front door burst open and Dean’s mother came running out, concern and fright preceding her. “Dean, what happened? Are you all right? Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, mom,” Dean protested.

“If you’re so fine, then why was Charlie driving your car? You don’t let  _ anyone  _ drive that car!” Mary rounded the muscle car in question and froze at the sight of Dean supporting an older man. Her eyes widened as she put two and two together. “Is that…?”

“Yeah, mom, and I know we gotta talk but, please just…help me?” Dean begged, Benny coming up on Cas’s other side to help support, Charlie bringing up the rear once again with Cas’s bag. Mary took another look at the man in the center, how tired and unwell he looked, her nose flaring as she realized at least part of the reason why and nodded.

“Of course, sweetie, I’ll get the door. And bring him to the guest room, for now. He looks like he’s dead on his feet,” she said softly.

Dean relaxed at her words and said, “Thanks,” just as softly.

With Benny’s help, Cas was soon laid out on the bed, despite his protests, stripped of his coat and the first couple of layers of clothing. Mary’s eyes softening as she realized, essentially, why he was wearing so many layers. With a hug, Charlie dropped Cas’s bag just inside the door of the guest room and dragged Benny out the door, leaving Dean’s keys on the table.

Dean immediately sat down on the bed next to the Omega, and just stared. His hand reached out before he pulled it back in. Cas struggled to sit up and talk, his voice rasping, “I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be an inconvenience,” he rubbed his hand down his slacks and couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

“Let me get you some water,” Mary said with a wince at the sound of his voice. She quickly left the room, patting Dean on his shoulder as she went.

“Cas, man, you’re not an inconvenience. Anything I can do to help…all of this is my fault. I’m, I’m so sorry,” Dean's voice hitched and again he started to reach out before he pulled back, clenching his hand into a fist to hold himself back. Cas wasn’t  _ his, _ as heartbreaking as that was, and Dean needed to respect that. Respect Cas’s wishes.

The front door slammed and Dean jumped off the bed, whirling around to face the door of the guest room, anxiousness and determination rolling off of him. His father was home and he would not be happy with what he found. But Dean didn’t care.

Together, Dean and Cas listened to the heavy footsteps pause before they turned and headed straight for the guest room. And them. Dean grew tense with every step and Cas grew even more tense as he watched Dean, listened to the steps and remembered what his own family had done.

Cas scrambled to get to his own, swaying feet, determined to face this with some dignity. Some sense of control over his own life.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think it should be obvious from this chapter that John wasn't the one who snitched. But i'm not so sure it's obvious who DID. 
> 
> Remember in chapter 3 when Dean tripped over the janitor? Yeaaaaaaaaah....that's your culprit. 
> 
> John actually kept his word. AAAAAND things are going to start looking up from here on out. Also, i like to think of this John as the parent he COULD have been...


	6. Breaking the News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some talks are had and things revealed, but how will everyone take the news?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG! So, I gotta say guys - thank you so much! I'm glad everyone's enjoying this so much - i don't think I've had a story get quite this awesome a reception before! you all are amazing! 
> 
> This chapters got a floating POV - hope nobody minds. This will happen a few times, but for the most part, the chapters will be Dean or Cas.

It didn’t take Dean’s dad long to reach the guest room. The house was cozy,  smaller than the Novak household. Cas’s stomach twisted as he watched the Alpha stalk into the room with a glare.

“I got a call today, son, about how you’ve been missing classes lately. And now I can see why,” John snarled. “Are you the damn teacher that slept with my son?”

Castiel swallowed, and nodded, for it was the truth and it had already hurt him. How much worse could it get? He remained silent though, face blank, his scent resigned. John lurched forward, hand curling into a fist, lips curled upward in disgust, his anger wafting before him clearly enough that a blind man would have known it.

John raised his fist and Dean yelled, “Dad! No!”

Mary, just entering the room and taking in the scene, dropped the bottle of water she’d brought in and grabbed her husband’s arm, using his surprise to shock him into stopping. John turned to face his wife with a questioning, disbelieving look on his face. She glared at him and nodded at Cas, sniffing the air pointedly. John followed her gaze, taking in a whiff and flinching.

Reluctantly dropping his arm, John stared at the other man. He was younger than John, but in his current condition, John couldn’t tell by how much. That the man was older than his son was very clear. He looked the worse for wear, clothes rumpled but at least clean, scruffy and exhausted looking. John didn’t see the attraction, didn’t see what had drawn Dean to the man and to risk everything.

“This is what my son slept with?” John snarled. “You ruined him, you know that?”

Cas nodded, despair rolling off him, once again unable to look anyone there in the eye.

“Dad, stop! Leave him alone!” Dean’s hands clenched as he moved between the Omega and the other Alpha.

“No! You are a minor, Dean. He’s an adult. He took advantage of you!” John roared, only his wife’s arm on his holding him back.

“It wasn’t like that!” Dean protested. How could he make his dad listen to him? That it wasn’t about taking advantage? That it had all just been a shit storm of bad timing?

Cas shrank in on himself, weak with hunger and nausea. Feeling this way, he couldn’t handle the yelling and the strong, angry scents coming off the Winchesters. Mary noticed his behavior, but the Alphas were too busy arguing to notice the same.

“I want him out of this house. Now!” John jabbed angrily in Cas’s direction.

“Dad! No! It’s not his fault!”

“How in hell is it not  _ his  _ fault?” More anger, strongly scented and rank was overpowering Cas and he whimpered, stomach roiling. He clutched at his belly and tried to take breaths but it only resulted in pulling in more of the same angry Alpha smells. Cas started shaking and Mary’s eyes grew wide.

“Because  _ I  _ snuck into a club, okay? I got a fake ID and got in. As far as he knew, I was of age, ‘cause how else would I be in there, right? He didn’t ruin  _ my  _ life, I ruined his!” Dean yelled, breathing hard. “He lost his job, his family and his place to live because of  _ me.  _ Because I snuck in to a club while under age. We had sex once – just once! You all act like this was some great fucking affair, but it wasn’t. Yes, I wanted  _ more _ and  _ Cas said no _ . Tried to convince me that we couldn’t for the same reasons you’re pissed off, Dad. So no, he did  _ not  _ take advantage of a student. Because I wasn’t his student. And he didn’t take advantage of a minor – because I was someplace minors shouldn’t have been and I haven’t looked like I was underage since I presented and you  _ know  _ that! And now look what’s happened to him because _ I _ was careless when I confronted Cas at school and someone overheard us. So no, Dad, this is on me. I’ve gotta fix it.”

“You’ve only just turned 17, Dean. You’re still in high school, how the hell are you going to fix this?” John demanded, though there was slightly less heat behind the words.

It was too late for Cas though, he whimpered and slid to the floor, overwhelmed by the strength of emotions and harsh scents trapped in the small space. Dean whirled around, his heart once again in his throat when he watched Cas collapse for the second time that day. He lunged forward to catch him, and did so, barely, hauling him back up to the bed and laying him out. Dean put his ear to Cas’s chest, Cas’s heart was beating fast.

Dean looked up again, eyes wild as they landed on his parents. “We have to help him. There’s something wrong, I – I don’t know what’s wrong. But he was in the hospital yesterday and – and this is the second time he’s fainted today. Shit, should I have brought him to a hospital? What if he’s sick?” Dean started to panic and Mary gently pulled him away from Cas. Dean fought her, “No! Mom, no, I gotta stay here, with Cas, please!”

“No, sweetheart, the best thing for him right now is rest. He’s obviously not been sleeping, or eating, if my guess is right.” She picked up the dropped bottle and set it on the table beside Cas’s head. “Come on, we need to let this room air out, clear the scents. He’s particularly susceptible right now, and you and your father’s fighting is not doing him any favors.” She glared at the Alphas, “Get out, I’ll join you in a minute. We’ll continue this talk out there, not in here. He is a guest, let’s let him rest.”

Grumbling, John listened to his wife and stalked out of the room, Dean hesitating to follow. Mary had moved to a window and cracked it open to let the air out, but not to let in too much cold. Nevertheless, Dean pulled the afghan from the bottom of the bed and draped it around Cas, tucking it in on the sides securely before he sighed and left the room.

He found his dad pacing the living room, anger warring with a pensive look. Mary closed the door behind them and ushered Dean out of the hallway and over the threshold of the living room. He’d barely managed to cross half the room before his father spoke. The words less heated, less angry but still simmering below the surface.

“And just when were you going to tell us about the baby?” John demanded.

“Baby?” Dean froze, breath stuck in his throat.

“Breathe, sweetheart, you’ve got to breathe…” Mary steered him to the couch. Dean gulped in a breath, then another as his knees hit the couch and he fell against it.

“We’re having a baby?” Despite the utter shock of his father’s words, that this was happening, Dean still felt the joy, the wonder of a baby. He’d always thought he might want kids someday – he just hadn’t thought it’d be  _ so soon _ .

“You didn’t know? Sweetie, I could smell it as soon as I saw him. Your dad too, once he stopped being a complete and total ass,” Mary said without looking at her husband. John opened his mouth but wisely closed it again.

“My nose is all stuffed. I’ve had a head cold since yesterday mom. I can barely smell anything. I knew he smelled off but I couldn’t figure out  _ why _ ,” Dean said slowly. “I’m gonna be a dad…wow. Wait, why didn’t he tell me?”

John wiped a hand down his face and turned away. He stalked off into the other room, the guest room he’d found Cas in. He wanted to be angry, but he was finding it draining as Dean’s words finally registered that it may not have all been the Omega’s fault. And if that was the case, John probably owed it to the poor man to be a little more charitable.

He stepped through the door and looked down at the man carrying his grandchild. John stood at the end of the bed and took his first, really good look at him. Dropping the anger, and looking at him more objectively than before, he could tell the man wasn’t doing well.

He was dirty, though not as dirty as he could have been, John supposed. The man’s hair was a mess. Unshaven, sunken eyes, skin so very pale…and his cheeks were hollow. And for someone who was over 6 months pregnant, way too thin. The Omega shivered, though the room wasn’t all that cold and curled in on himself, clutching at his stomach protectively.

The man, Castiel, Dean’s ex teacher, stirred suddenly and tried to sit up with a groan that turned into a whimper. His arms shook as he pushed with determination.

He wasn’t going to make it.

In a breath, John found himself at the Omega’s side and helping him to sit up. He cringed inwardly when he saw the Omega flinch at his touch, his presence.

And he had no idea if it was because he, John - who’d yelled and threatened the man - was here beside him, or if he’d been given cause to be wary. He regretted the former and hoped to hell it hadn’t been the latter. At least he can make amends for the first.

“It’s all right, Cas…Cas-ti-el was it?” John questioned. The Omega looked at him warily but nodded. “I’m sorry for my behavior earlier. I’m sure you could understand where I was coming from but I shouldn’t have been so quick to judge without the full story. Look, son, whether you and Dean mate or not, I guess you’re family now.”

Cas gaped at John in disbelief and then, to John's horror, the man crumpled, bursting into tears. Just as Dean came in.

“Holy hell,” John said, stunned and frozen in place.

Dean cursed and rushed over to wrap Cas up in his arms, the two men of a size. “Dad,” Dean hissed angrily, “What the fuck did you say to him?”

Cas hiccupped, wiping away tears and trying to speak, “No, no, Dean, I’m okay…”

“Like hell you are, you’re shaking!”

John laid an arm on Dean’s shoulder. “It’s the hormones. He’s an Omega. He may be male but he’s still pregnant. That means he’ll likely be all over the place for a little while. Trust me, I’ve been through it two times myself. Everyone reacts differently, every pregnancy is different. But believe me when I tell you, Mary was a bear to deal with both times!”

A smack on the back of his head and Cas sucked in a shocked breath, eyes wide. “She hit him,” he whispered to Dean in horror.

John blinked at the utter shock on the Omega’s face at the idea of an Omega hitting an Alpha and wondered what the hell his family had been like. Remembering what Dean had said, John shook off the question. He didn’t have to wonder. They’d kicked Cas out, likely without talking to him first and finding out the details, actually finding out if he was in the wrong or not. As he had almost been just as guilty of. Not one of his prouder moments.

Mary sidestepped her husband and gave Cas an encouraging smile. “Why don’t we set you up in this room, get you something to eat and do proper introductions? Hmmm? I’m Mary Winchester, Dean’s mom obviously, this oaf is my husband John and once you get past his temper, he’s a wonderful man and a loving husband and father. Dean here is our oldest, but we have another son, Sam who should be coming home from school anytime now. Now how about you?”

“Um...Cas – Castiel Novak,” Cas blinked in surprise and stuttered a bit before sitting up a little straighter, Dean rubbing at his back for support. It felt good and he nearly groaned into it. His lower back had started to hurt a week ago, just a low-level ache that didn’t hurt horribly but was just so  _ there _ , so  _ ever-present _ that it was hard to ignore.

“Well then, I think what we’ll do is just order out tonight. I think that would be easiest on everybody. John, why don’t you help me pick out a menu and give Dean and Cas some time alone?” Mary asked. John looked like he wanted to protest but he wisely held his tongue. He nodded at his son and his son’s – John’s thoughts faltered. What  _ was  _ Castiel officially at this point? – well, at Cas, departing the room with Mary nearly on his heels, herding him out faster. “There’s water on the table Cas, and I’ll bring a snack in for you, tide you over before dinner.” She smiled and left, closing the door behind her.

Castiel felt so confused in this whirlwind of a day and he turned his befuddled eyes on Dean, tilting his head slightly. “Dean, I don’t – I don’t understand…?”

Dean smiled brightly at him, “We’re gonna take care of you, Cas, help you get back on your feet.” Dean’s face fell then, “Look, I’m so sorry. I…I ruined your life. I was so caught up in what we could be, what I  _ hoped  _ we could be that…that I just wasn’t careful. And that’s really all you wanted. I ruined everything for you. Look, we’re not going to force anything on you, okay, but…you need help, and we can help. So please let us? I tell you, you scared the hell outta me when you disappeared.”

“I’m sorry, Dean,” Castiel’s voice came out a little bit stronger in his wonder that Dean’s family had turned around and was so accepting of him. If anyone had a right to be angry about what had occurred, he’d been certain it was Dean’s parents. And John had been, at first, that much was clear. The abrupt about face was so strange that Cas still couldn’t quite conceive that it had happened.

“No! Don’t be sorry, Cas. You have nothing to be sorry for!” Dean tried to insist, the guilt rolling off of him strongly.

Hesitantly, Cas reached out for him, only then realizing that he didn’t have to reach far. They’d been on the bed in an embrace, scenting each other and only pulled away enough to talk, but were still so very much intertwined and Cas flushed, looking at the door anxiously and back at Dean again, trying to shift backwards and away.

Dean caught his hands briefly, trying to let him know it was okay, but then let go of him, afraid he’d pushed where he shouldn’t. Instead, he stood and pushed a hand through his hair and Cas felt the loss of Dean when he did so. He dropped his own hands, instinctively curling them around his stomach, Dean's eyes following the movement.

Dean returned to the bed, then, staring at Cas’s stomach. Cas couldn’t place the scent, there was still too much anger soaking into the room, but he thought it might be hope, and confusion. Anything else it could have been was completely lost.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Cas? About the baby?” Dean’s hand hovered over the Omega’s stomach but didn’t touch, respectful of his person as always. It had not been what drew him initially, but it had been what made Cas go for Dean when they’d met at the club. It had been the happiest night of his life.

If only everything hadn’t gone so wrong afterwards.

Cas drew in a sharp breath and hunched over his stomach, wrapping his arms around himself protectively. “I didn’t know…I’d been so miserable about, about us, about denying what we could be that it was making me sick, caused me so many sleepless nights. I had no idea it could have been something more. I, only realized later, when, when I lost everything.”

“But you could have come to me, Cas,” Dean pleaded.

“No, I couldn’t! Dean, it would be unfair to you to burden you with a child. You’re, technically, still a child yourself. Doing so, would ruin  _ your  _ life plans. At least one of us should be able to keep their dreams,” Castiel bit out with resigned tones.

“About that,” John’s voice broke in, making Dean and Cas both jump. They hadn’t even heard the door opening again. “If what my son says is truth -“ he held up a hand quickly to forestall his son, “not doubting you, Dean, but we’ll need to prove it - then you were fired under false pretenses. How fast did it all happen?”

“I…don’t know what you mean? I’d been teaching there 5 months. I had no inkling I was about to be fired,” Castiel ventured finally.

“Right. This kind of thing, scandal or not, there’s supposed to be an investigation. At the very least, you get some kind of warning and a chance to fight back, refute any claims. This came out of left field completely, so it sounds. But don’t worry, I’ve got friends on the force and I know a lawyer who can kick some serious ass.”

“It might not get you your family back, Cas, but we can be your family now, if you’ll let us?” Dean, grinning from his father’s words, turned to look back at Cas, hope shining in his eyes, permeating through the room and pushing the last vestiges of Alpha anger away.

Castiel’s throat worked and his eyes stung. It was the same offer John had made, coming from his True Mate. And if John’s offer had made him cry, Dean’s made him bawl with happiness. “Yes,” he whispered before falling into Dean’s gravity, burying his face in Dean’s neck.

Things were looking up for the first time in half a year. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he’d feared. Maybe he didn’t have to lose Dean after all. He clutched at Dean’s shirt and breathed in the scent of his True Mate’s happiness and simply basked in it, pulling in breath after deep breath of it.

He realized, then, that this was what families should be. They might fight. They might not agree, but they banded together to help each other when they needed to.

Despite his own joy, Cas couldn’t help the tears flowing down his cheeks.  _ God. Damn. Hormones _ . Castiel thought as he sobbed into Dean’s collarbone.


	7. The Day After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas meets with a lawyer and sees that the light at the end of his tunnel is getting just a little brighter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's officially Tuesday! so even though it's early, i'm gonna post! :D Next update will be after work on friday , so, more like saturday wee hours of the morning (Thats EST)
> 
> I officially declare that I have no knowledge of Lawyering. (i don't even think that's a real word)
> 
> there is the reveal of how old Cas really is, and some discussion about age gaps and what it really means at different ages. everyone is appropriately horrified of course. I don't think that needs a trigger warning but...just figured, just in case. That should be good, right?

Castiel couldn’t believe how fast he adjusted to living with the Winchesters. He felt guilty for intruding on their space, for being a burden and at the same time, there was just so much relief and peace in living here, the family a balm that he’d much needed.

“First things first,” Mary insisted the next morning, after everyone had had a good night’s sleep. Cas had slept better than he had in awhile, the smell of Dean permeated through every part of the house and it helped him to relax in a way that he just hadn’t been able to for so long. “Food and rest and staying off your feet!” She pointed at his swollen feet with a glare and Cas couldn’t help but draw them up on the bed and under him to hide his feet from view.

Her face softened, “No, I’m not yelling at you, Cas. I’m just trying to help. I’ve got experience, remember? And you’ve had a real rough time recently. You need to recover so we can get this all back on track for you. Also, I’ve set up an appointment with my doctor.”

Castiel blinked in surprise. “No, Mary, I don’t – I haven’t any money left,” he protested.

“You are a part of this family now, Cas. You need to take care of yourself, for you and for your baby and for all of us,” she tried to soothe, “Now, Dean said you were in the hospital the day before he found you. Tell me about it.” Mary sat close to him, having dragged a chair up close to the bed where he sat. Cas could see Dean hovering by the open door. Actually, Cas could smell Dean lingering there even before Cas looked up. An anxious, worried thread weaving into the room.

“Dean, you can come in,” Cas said, wanting to give the Alpha some sort of reassurance but unsure what to do, how to proceed. Dean was still a minor…

But it was his baby, too.

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Dean protested from the door, but everyone could smell the hope on him. Mary looked at them in frustration. The behavior of the two was drastically different than it had been the day before. Where yesterday they’d been clinging together for comfort, reassurance, today they were diffident, unsure. And sure, she knew where some of that was coming from, understood it, even, but it was too late for that now and they’d just have to get over it. For the sake of each other and their baby.

“Sweetie, you might as well. We’re all in this together now and it’s always better for the people around a pregnant person to know what’s going on, in case there’s something, if Cas has any sort of difficulties, he could wind up needing our help. Though of course we’ll hope there’s nothing wrong, but if something does happen, being informed will make you less likely to panic and will help Cas the most in the end.” Mary sighed. “And trust me, a panicking Alpha is not all that much help to a distressed pregnant Omega. I should know.”

“Dad?” Dean asked with a little amusement, slowly pushing away the worry as he inched into the room.

“Your father,” Mary chuckled with a shake of her head, “was not a cool cucumber when I was pregnant with you, Dean, and he drove me insane. I swear to god.”

“I was, I was only at the hospital because I passed out, like you saw yesterday,” Cas answered her question, Mary and Dean turning to look at him with more worry. “It was just exhaustion. I hadn’t been sleeping well, and I guess, I was a little dehydrated, perhaps. And they were worried that I wasn’t taking any prenatal vitamins. They thought I might not be…eating enough either, because I’m not really,” Cas took in a deep breath, looking down at himself, a hand coming up to cradle his still small belly, “not showing all that much yet.”

“And that’s all they said?”

“Well, they did run some tests. An ultrasound to check if the baby was all right, and they drew some blood and,” Cas turned red, he didn’t want to say it out loud, “ _ other things _ but I don’t know how I’m going to get the results. I wasn’t able to put down an address.”

Dean was looking perplexed about the ‘other things’ but Mary moved on, knowing full well what those likely were and patting Cas on his arm, “Well, you can put ours down now. In fact, we should call the hospital – together since you’ll have to approve it – and tell them where to mail it right now.”

“Okay,” Castiel said quietly. He managed to keep it off his face, but emotionally he felt like a rollercoaster. Everything was happening so fast and they were all being so nice and understanding and, and, not full of the blame they should have.

Mary already had the phone out, dialing the hospital – there was only the one in Lawrence* - and before Castiel knew it, he was on the phone assuring whoever was on the other end that he was authorizing Mary Winchester to be his contact if he could not be reached.

She smiled apologetically when they hung up the phone. “Ideally, it should be Dean, but since he’s still underage and there’s been no mating…” she shrugged.

“Is that allowed?” Dean asked. “The mating thing, I mean?”

“It is allowed under…certain circumstances,” Mary said slowly, “Emergencies or parental approval. Allowances can be made if the two are True Mates, since it’s so rare as long as everyone involved is consenting. All of which I think this qualifies for but…you two need to work this out. Don’t rush it, either. Just…take your time, get to know each other better. Whether you mate or not, now or later or never, it’s not a deal breaker.”

Dean looked over at Cas with hope and a small, uncertain smile. Cas returned the look, but then looked down and away and gulped. He’d have to think on this. Get to know Dean the way he’d wanted to when he’d realized what they were to each other. But…

But maybe? He would have blushed if he’d realized how the hope that was blooming in his chest was filling the room.

Mary broke the tension by speaking again, though her words brought a different kind of tension into the room. “So, we can’t get in to see Pamela – she’s my doctor, and yours too if you like her – till tomorrow. But John says he was able to talk to our friend Cain – he’s a lawyer – and he and Sheriff Mills will be coming by together a little later, if you think you can handle it? If you’re not ready, we can tell them to come back another time, but, I have a feeling you’d like to just get this over with.”

Cas gave an uncertain nod to Mary’s words and she patted his leg reassuringly.

“Now, wherever you feel the most comfortable, Castiel, feel free to have the meeting there. Just let me know, and I’ll be sure to give you and Dean some privacy,” Mary rose to her feet, Dean and Cas following her movements.

“Just Cas, Mary, please,” Cas asked automatically as he thought about her words.

“Of course,” she smiled at him.

Dean blurted, “Me? I thought that I – that you wouldn’t want – “

“Baby, you are at the heart of it all. You will be needed for so many reasons,” Mary said gently.

“I’ll…” Cas took a deep breath, took a look at the anxious teen and turned to face Mary again, “You’re right. Let’s just get this over with.”

Mary nodded approvingly. “I’ll get something together for you to eat. Dean can show you to the bathroom if you’d like a shower?”

“A shower sounds heavenly,” Cas breathed out, slipping his feet off the bed and to the floor. He stood up, still a little unsteady but better than he had been. Dean hovered but restrained himself as Cas reached for his bag and sorted through it for fresh clothes.

In no time at all, a freshly showered Cas was sitting at the table in the kitchen, eating a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast and thick slices of ham and roasted potatoes. He was amazed at the bounty before him and that Mary could pull it together in such a short time – had he lingered in the amazingly hot spray of the shower that long? He hadn’t even smelled the ham cooking – when Dean leaned over to him and whispered conspiratorially,

“Yeah, uh, mom’s a great cook, but the ham and potatoes are some leftovers from the other night. Don’t worry, you didn’t put her out. But you should get used to it, eating like this. Mom’s gonna love you just for the fact that she gets to  _ feed _ you. It’s like, one of her favorite things. Someday, you gotta try her apple pie.” Dean smiled, a look of bliss on his face at the thought of pie and Cas relaxed and chuckled at his words, digging in almost as eagerly as he had the dinner from the night before.

Feeling clean, well fed and  _ safe _ for the first time in a month was doing wonders for Cas. The future still was so uncertain and yet here, right now, it didn’t seem to worry him as much as it had been. There was hope now, in this warm and cozy home. It felt so different than the one he’d grown up in. He’d always thought there was something missing in his life, in his house. Something that only Gabriel and a handful of cousins had been able to fill over the years. Cas had thought it, well, normal. He’d not had much time for friends growing up. He’d known from an early age he’d have to fight harder for what he wanted, to get his parents to believe he was worth the investment. So he’d never really noted the differences in the way other people lived, other families behaved.

Not till he’d reached college and expanded his studies. The things he had read had caused a longing in him. A longing that was dying away just sitting in the quaint and cheery kitchen with wonderful smells and a smiling, caring mother and his concerned and doting Alpha.

Cas nearly froze, eyes widening at his thoughts. His Alpha. Dean. He was underage, but only for another year. Could this truly happen? He’d seen bigger age gaps between mates before – no one seemed to care past a certain point. He was pretty sure he had an uncle who’d mated a woman 13 years his junior. There wasn’t even that many years between Cas and Dean.

Points in his favor, Mary didn’t seem to mind him, might even like Cas. John had, grudgingly perhaps, accepted him, welcomed him to the family and no longer placed blame squarely on Cas’s shoulders. Sam had been excited to meet him for the brief moment he’d had the chance to, and Dean…

Well, Cas already knew what Dean wanted. That it echoed his own feelings perfectly.

But he still felt so guilty…

Cas swallowed food past the sudden lump in his throat. Tried to school his face and his haywire scent to give none of his thoughts away. It must have worked, because neither Dean nor Mary changed their behavior and Cas slowly relaxed.

Cas was feeling a lot more human hours later when the people John had told them to expect came by. Cain was nothing like Cas  _ or  _ Dean had expected when he arrived. An older gentleman, dressed in plain clothes that still seemed sleek and suave. How he pulled it off, neither were sure. He exuded confidence easily, but not with that arrogant, slimy overtone one would expect of lawyers.

The two of them had elected to meet the lawyer and the Sheriff in the living room. The bedroom had seemed too  _ intimate  _ for Cas and Dean had thought the couch would be better for his recovery than the hard backed chairs of the kitchen.

So when Cain came in, quickly followed by Jody Mills, they met Dean and Cas on  _ their  _ grounds. Jody quickly came around to give Dean a hug, and Cas a handshake. The ‘nice to meet you’ she said was for pleasantry sake only. Cas could see she was withholding judgement for now.

While Cain headed for a seat, Jody just leaned against the wall. “If you can convince _ me _ , boys, you stand  a good chance here, but I won’t be easy to convince. And no, Dean, I won’t go easy on ya just cause I know ya…”

“Now, from what I understand, what we have is cause for a wrongful termination suit,” Cain said as he settled down in the recliner on the other side of the coffee table, directly across from Dean and Cas.

“I don’t understand. What happened, what they accused me of, they’re not exactly wrong,” Cas squinted at the lawyer. “How can we sue them?”

“They didn’t go through the proper channels, Mr. Novak. At the most, they should have suspended you pending an official investigation. Firing you outright makes it look like they’re either hiding something or looking for a reason to get rid of you.” Cain leaned forward, “Look, I’m a lawyer, it’s not my place to judge. But from what John tells me, there may have been some mitigating circumstances behind what the school thinks happened. But I think it best for the both of you to simply tell me what happened, in your own words. Mr. Novak, let’s start with you. How did you and Dean meet?”

“At a club, Purgatory. I was there with my brother Gabriel and my best friend to celebrate my first job as a teacher which I was due to start in a few days.”

Jody raised an eyebrow at the name of the club and looked over at Dean disapprovingly. He fidgeted uncomfortably, but he and Cas had talked it over and for Cas to get any kind of help, Dean would have to come clean about the lawbreaking he more or less did. Cas hadn’t seen the point. No one could excuse what had happened and he didn’t see how their meeting could have any bearing but…maybe they were seeing an out that he didn’t.

“And what was it that attracted you to Dean, specifically?”

“Well, I was, I’d been drinking a little and I was trying to dance – “

“And failing, at that,” Dean chuckled, “Cas looked so awkward, lost and alone on the dance floor that I had to come to his rescue.”

“Dean. One at a time please,” Cain chided gently.

“Well, Dean’s correct, he offered his help and he was handsome and he was so…respectful of my boundaries. It’s a change from the norm. Everywhere I go, strangers, family, they all expect me to adhere by their rules, expect…” Cas struggled with putting into words things he’d never tried before. He once again thought it ironic that his chosen profession was to teach words, to teach writing. “He gave me choice. The choice on if he should get closer, if I would dance with him, if I would allow him to touch me and it was…so different, so…liberating. Then as we danced, we could, we could smell each other.”

“And why is that significant?”

“We were both wearing scent blockers.”

“That’s interesting,” Cain paused, exchanging looks with Jody who was looking surprised herself. “Mr. Novak, could you tell me why you wore scent blockers? Most people these days don’t bother.”

“Because I’m an Omega. Going into the club to begin with is…it’s outside of my norm. My brother thought it would be a good idea to allow any and all interactions to be under my own merit, and not from what people thought they could get from me if they realized... I admit, it made me a little more comfortable to go inside. Clubs aren’t really my thing and I’d never even dated anyone before, much less entertained the sorts of ideas my brother seemed to expect of me that night. I put on the blockers he provided, with no intention to, to, to find anyone as he encouraged me to,” Cas blushed, “The fact that I did anyway was unexpected to say the least.”

“So, to sum up your side of it all – you entered a 21 plus club where you met Dean. Did you suspect at any time that he was less than truthful about his age?”

“Honestly, no. We never asked each other’s ages, and I had assumed – erroneously as it turns out – that anyone who was inside the club would be…safe, in that regard.”

“And this was before your first day at the school?” Cas nodded slowly at the lawyers’ question, seeing where this was going finally, eyes widening. “Was it then you discovered that Dean was a student?”

“Yes. I was shocked, and horrified to put it mildly. I’d been hoping to find him and then I do, only to find out that…” Cas looked down with a grimace.

“Now Dean, sweetie, I think we need to ask what you were doing in the club that night,” Jody asked sternly.

Dean fidgeted once more, “I wanna tell you, Jody, honest. It’d be a hell of a lot easier to tell my part, but I just don’t want to get anyone in trouble,” Dean bit his lip. “You gotta promise me that they won’t get in trouble.”

Jody looked worried, “Dean, I’m the Sheriff, if someone’s breaking the law…”

“Yeah, well, I broke a law, right? To get into that club? Are you gonna arrest me? If you aren’t, then you can’t arrest them. We didn’t  _ hurt _ anyone.” Dean flinched and his voice lowered, “I mean, we didn’t mean to.” He looked over at Cas. “I’m so sorry.”

Cas opened his mouth to say that it was okay, and stalled at the look Dean gave him. The look that said,  _ Don’t you dare just brush this off _ . He closed it again, wondering when he’d gotten so good at reading the Alpha and blinked, staring at Dean before giving him a small nod. Acknowledgement, but not brushing off.

“I promise,” Cain said simply, startling the two on the couch out of their silent conversation. Jody lurched from her spot against the wall at his words and gave him a disbelieving look.

“Cain Omund!” she hissed, her scent was rankled and angry, “You can’t make promises like that! You are not the police body.”

Cain leveled an unamused  _ ‘oh really’ _ look at her, “We cut criminals deals all the time to get them to cooperate with us. I don’t see the issue in giving a teenager who has committed nothing more than a minor transgression this little bit of reassurance.”

Jody considered his words with a narrow gaze before finally giving him a brief nod. “I don’t have any trouble with this, what I draw issue with is that you did so without consulting me. We are here, together today, as a team.”

Cain waved at her, “My apologies. Can we get moving? Dean?”

“You guys promise? Can I get it in writing?”

Jody grinned at him, “Smart boy.”

Cain reached into his bag and pulled out a legal pad. He wrote briefly with flourishing letters, signing the bottom then handing it to Jody for her to sign as well. Both took photos of the note with their phones, Dean doing the same before carefully folding it up and pocketing it.

He took a deep breath and spoke, the nervousness in his scent permeating the room. “Okay, so, I went with a couple of friends because Charlie really wanted to go. I mean, we just wanted to see what it was like. Purgatory has a reputation for being very accepting of just about everything, and we thought…” Cas listened, fascinated as Dean detailed this part. It had never occurred to him to ask  _ why  _ Dean had been there in the first place. “See, Charlie’s a lesbian and Benny, he’s straight, but I’ve always kinda been on the fence, y’know? And I’m not exactly out at school so…we just, we just thought we could check it out, see what it felt like to be…be accepted just for being who we were, and Benny came as support.”

“And how did you get in?”

“Uh, we had…fake ID’s,” Dean flinched and didn’t look at Jody. “I really can’t tell you, okay? ‘Cause I don’t know.”

“And you already said what drew you to Mr. Novak,” Cain tried to get them back on track.

“Right,” Dean nodded, “Right so, and he was attractive and I thought, yeah, I’m definitely into guys, not just girls. And he was sweet, and, and so outta place there. Looked like he belonged just as much as I did, so it didn’t occur to me he was actually older. I mean, after all,  _ I  _ was there, right? So then, as Cas said, we scented each other – though I didn’t remember what that meant till later, ‘cause I was on blockers too…”

“Now, why were  _ you _ on blockers, Dean? You’re an Alpha, and it’s not often done these days. Alpha’s especially don’t bother with them,” Cain tapped his pen against the legal pad.

“Well, y’know, we had fake ID’s,” Dean shrugged, “ _ All _ of us were wearing blockers because we were afraid someone would figure out we were lying if they could smell us.”

“All right, boys, so we’ve established  _ why _ you were both at the club that night, that neither of you knew the others age, or that Mr. Novak was a teacher,” Jody shook her head, “Did you hook up?”

Cas and Dean exchanged a look before turning back to the pair before them and nodding apprehensively in unison. The mixture of both their anxious scents nearly overwhelming.

“I’m sorry to ask this question of you both – but did either of you have sexual relations prior to your contact with each other?” Jody truly looked embarrassed and both Dean and Castiel turned bright red.

“Some kissing, a little groping and, y’know.  _ The internet _ .” Dean nearly choked on his words. He’d known Jody since he was a kid and he couldn’t believe he had to talk about these things.

“Mr. Novak, did it occur to you that Dean was a little inexperienced when the two of you got into it? Didn’t you think it strange that an Alpha, supposedly of age, would still be a virgin?”

“No more so than I,” Castiel noted. “I’m nearly 22 years old –“ Everyone in the room jolted at the knowledge. Cain was calculating, Jody was surprised and Dean was hopeful. “- and the only experience I have is a few toys during my heats. Why should I think it strange?”

Cain gave the statement an impressed nod, “Good point. I am surprised, however, to hear how young you are for a teacher. I was certain you’d be several years older. How is this possible?”

Cas shrugged. “Growing up, I, uh, applied myself to my studies and was able to graduate high school early. A basic teacher’s cert only takes four years and a bachelor’s degree – usually. I had a few obstacles thrown in my way, so it took me five years instead.”

“Cas,” Dean breathed, “You’re practically my age!”

“No, Dean, I’m still a teacher and you’re still a student. And a five-year difference has a much bigger impact at this age range. Could you imagine an 18-year-old in a relationship with a 13-year-old? How about a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old?” Cas pointed out. Dean shuddered and his lips curled down in disgust, a sour smell hitting the room and shared by all at the mere thought. Cas was pleased to see that Dean saw the sense of it. Just thinking about it made Cas’s stomach churn queasily.

“Back to the issue, boys,” Jody gave them all a stern eyed glare, but Cas could now sense the softness and affection she held underneath. Then her scent took an apologetic turn and she gave a weird little shrug, speaking in a gentle voice.   “I’m sorry, but I really do have to ask this. Cas, you’re an Omega. Did Dean…force you in anyway?”

“What?!” Cas gasped, horrified. “No! How could – no! Dean would never – we already told you what happened!”

Dean leaned away as the Omega’s anger permeated the room, assaulting his nose. Only visibly relaxing when Cas forced himself to calm down, the anger draining. The older man palmed at his face as he tried to compose himself. Cas realized, with a sick twist to his stomach, that the sheriff  _ had _ to ask because Omega assault, something he’d thought they – as a society – had moved past (he wouldn’t fool himself into naively believing some sick individuals wouldn’t still when given the opportunity, just as there were still murders despite supposedly being civilized) was still enough of an issue to make such a question standard operating procedure.

Cas’s stomach twisted harder, making breakfast hard to hold down. Concerned, Dean reached forward, hovered and dropped his hand. Deans hands twisted anxiously together in his lap.

There was a brief silence as everyone tried to regain their composure after such an explosive question. All except for Cain, that was, who seemed particularly unperturbed. Not even his scent changed. Possibly on blockers, despite his earlier words that most people didn’t use them. As a lawyer, it made sense.

But that was neither here nor there.

Dean broke the silence finally, “Would it make it easier for Cas, if, if –“ he swallowed, hands still twisting together, “if I  _ admitted _ that I had?”

Cas gaped at Dean, eyes wide and trying to get words out of his mouth. His scent was blank with how stunned he was at the suggestion. “Dean, No!” Cas finally unfroze and got his mouth working again, the scent curling around him was more horrified this time than angry, but it still made the others flinch.

“Why not, Cas? There’d be no question about you getting your job back if that happened.” Dean protested.

“Dean, I don’t think you fully understand how severely that would ruin your life.”

“Like I already did yours? It’s the same damn thing!”

“Dean, sweetie, it’s commendable how you want to protect your Omega – “

“Not my Omega, Jody,” Dean muttered, despondently, sullenly.

“-but Cas is right. Such an admission would ruin you. You’re just a kid.”

“We don’t need to resort to such drastic measures at any rate,” Cain spoke up again, evenly. “It might not happen fast, but we’ll get Cas reinstated and absolved. You both just need to be patient. Answer me this one thing -  after you met at the club, did you at any point thereafter – notably, after Cas discovered that Dean was underage and Dean discovered that Mr. Novak was a teacher – have sex again?” Cain pushed, looking at each of them in turn. This time both of them shook their heads no. Cain raised an eyebrow, impressed – at what, Cas wasn’t certain. Their self-control maybe? – and smiled slowly, almost predatorily, “Well then, that school hasn’t got a damn leg to stand on.”

Castiel blinked. That wasn’t what he expected to hear. Neither the lawyer’s verdict or his choice of wording. “What?”

But the Sheriff was already nodding in agreement and Dean was smelling all sorts of relieved and excited. Cain’s small smile grew wider, a little less predatory and more gleeful, “Indeed. Their accusation was that you were knowingly conducting an affair with a student. That failing that, you were having sexual relations with a minor. One encounter before you knew the truth is hardly criminal. Especially in the case of someone like Dean here, who presents as older than he is. The fact that you did  _ not  _ continue, as soon as you knew, and despite over 5 months of contact shows strength of character and moral high ground.”

“In other words, boys, we got ‘em right where we want ‘em. We should be able to get Cas’s job back for him if we raise a big enough stink. The fact that you’re True Mates will just be more fuel for the fire, should we need it.” Jody was still grinning, “And no drastic or ill thought heroic measures needed either, boys.” Jody gave Dean a stern look that had him sink a little into the couch.

Castiel was still stunned. “But I…I…?”

Dean’s hands came up to wrap around Cas’s, grounding him. Cas looked up at Dean, mouth still gaping. Dean grinned softly at him, “You’re gonna be all right, Cas, see? You and the baby. We take care of  _ all _ our family here, and you’re family as long as you want us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * I have no idea how many hospitals Lawrence, Kansas has. i could probably google it. but for the sake of this story, I just decided to go with one _(the town i live in has 2 actual hospitals and a clinic so big and fancy that it's practically a hospital itself. the clinic is attached by name TO a hospital over 1 1/2 hours away and is nicer than some smaller hospitals I've been in. it still surprises me that this is necessary. where i grew up, you had to travel several towns over to find a hospital and where i grew up was considered more suburban than where i live now)._
> 
> Anyway, hope nobody minds if that happens to be wrong.
> 
> PS - we are more than halfway to the end :D


	8. Days Go By

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas starts to adjust to life with the Winchesters and he and Dean discuss baby names

After the visit from the officials – the lawyer that Dean had never met before and the Sheriff who’d been like an aunt to him as he grew up - things seemed to calm down, settle into a routine. Despite his wishes to remain home with Cas, Dean returned to school, Benny and Charlie eagerly waiting for a full-blown update on the situation, rather than the meager scraps Dean had been texting them.

Honestly, if it had been him on the other side of all this, he would never have been quite so patient, so Dean knew that really, he couldn’t blame them.

It just about killed Dean to leave Cas behind everyday but he took comfort in the fact that Cas would  _ be  _ there when Dean came home. That the omega was safe and finally getting the care that he needed.

Because once he was well rested enough, with Mary’s help, Cas was finally putting on some weight and the baby bump was finally properly showing. Which of course necessitated an outing to the clothing stores that Mary was all too proud to drag them all too. Cas seemed more embarrassed, or more reticent, Dean wasn’t sure exactly, for some reason but Dean couldn’t figure out why, though his mother seemed to.

Dean thought everything looked good on Cas anyway and Cas blushed and stammered, a pleased scent reaching Dean’s nose when Dean said as much. Mary beamed approvingly at Dean, and Dean was still left in the dark as to what had been the problem to begin with.

The doctor visits went well. Despite Cas’s predicament, the baby had not been hurt in any way and both Cas and the Winchester household breathed a sigh of relief. The only concern Pamela had was how underweight Cas was for how far along he’d gotten. And with admonishments that she needed to see significant weight gain in the next two weeks, Mary set to fattening Cas right up.

Which led to moments that had Dean feeling like Cas was already part of the family. A typical evening just a few weeks into the new arrangements had Cas holding his stomach after a dinner where Mary had served him over generous portions for the third time in a row and then got sad looking when he tried to refuse it.

“No, Mary, please, I feel like I’m about to burst.”

“Hmm…well, you look much healthier than you did a few weeks ago,” John mumbled around a mouthful of food.

“John Winchester! Eat with your mouth closed!” Mary chided, “What kind of an example is that to be setting?”

“I think it’s a little late to be worrying about that,” he snorted, the amused scent curling about the room, leaving everyone else in a good mood as well.

Family nights now included Cas and it made Dean giddier than it probably should have made him. But he didn’t care. Because here, now, he was spending time with Cas. Quality time, with no judgements from the people around him. Dean was getting to know Cas and Cas was getting to know him.

First time they broke out the video games and Sam tried to hand Cas a controller, Dean found himself with a new mission.

“What do you mean you’ve never played video games before?”

“My parents never approved of them. A frivolous waste of time. But I must admit, I was always curious,” Cas leaned forward as John and Mary settled into their usual places.

“That’s okay, Cas, we can show you,” Sam bounced excitedly.

“Maybe I’ll just…watch first, if I could?” Cas asked hesitantly, making no move for the controller Dean was holding out for him.

“Sure Cas, you just let us know when you’re ready to give it a shot.” Dean smiled at Cas and turned back to his brother.

Dean was very happy with how well Cas was fitting in, integrating with his family. Mary had taken to him nearly straight off, and John – once he’d calmed and heard Dean out, was starting to respect the teacher as well.

Sam, of course, had liked the man before they’d even met.

Slipping in Mario Kart, Dean soon lost himself in playing the game, occasionally losing as he took the time to explain to Cas how the game worked. After a few races, Dean turned to the Omega with a grin, “You ready to try yet?”

“Hmm…I think so. I don’t want to kick anyone out of the game, though,” Cas said with a worried glance over at Sam.

“Oh don’t worry about that!” Sam laughed, passing over a third controller. “We can play up to 4 people easy.”

For never having played video games before, Cas sure was a quick learner. No matter what they played Cas would watch first and then practically school Sam, Dean or both – much to their parents’ amusement.

Eventually Dean’s parents called for an end to the games and picked out a movie, enlisting Sam to pop it in. Sam then stretched out on the floor while Dean joined Cas on the couch. Mary and John were wrapped up together on the loveseat, the throw blanket on the back of it pulled down to cover them both.

Dean caught a minute shiver from Cas and dragged the other throw blanket down and offered it to the Omega. Cas took it thankfully, tucking it around himself and then, hesitantly, he looked over at Dean and held up a corner. Dean took the silent invitation to scoot in under the blanket and relish in their closeness.

And when a weight fell on Dean’s shoulder halfway into the movie, he turned carefully to find Cas had fallen asleep on him. Dean felt his heart swell almost painfully, missing the look his parents exchanged as Dean looked down at Cas adoringly. Dean brought an arm up around Cas’s shoulder to tuck him in further and couldn’t help but card his fingers through the messy locks. Cas kept saying he needed a haircut, but secretly, Dean hoped he wouldn’t cut it – or at least not too short. This was the perfect length.

So that was Dean’s day for the next couple of months, as the lawyer fought on Cas’s behalf. He’d wake up, share a breakfast with Cas if the man had woken. He’d go to school and diligently apply himself to his classwork, though he hated the new Creative Writing teacher. Then as soon as the last bell rang, Dean would rush on home with Sam in tow, sometimes Benny and Charlie too.

Dean and Cas could then be found in the kitchen, heads bent together as Dean did his homework. Cas refused to do it for him, but would nudge Dean once in awhile in the right direction or help him with something that he was struggling with till he understood it well enough to apply it to his homework. Sam sat with them, and sometimes Benny and Charlie too, and Cas didn’t hesitate to tutor the others while Mary provided snacks for all.

When Dean’s friends went home, Sam would head off to his own friends and Cas and Dean would spend the rest of the time before dinner just talking in the room that was slowly becoming Cas’s. About anything. Everything. Cas’s life and the stuff he’d missed out on, the things Dean planned to do after school, the latest doctor visit.

What each of them hoped for the future.

Cas’s hopes were simple. He wanted his job back, to clear his name. He wanted a healthy baby and then, then he’d hesitate and look at Dean and look away again, changing the subject. And Dean would let him. Would talk in turn about  _ his  _ hopes and dreams. How he wasn’t planning to go to college – where Cas had originally thought Dean was going when he said he was almost finished with school – not directly at any rate.

“See, Dad and I, we worked out a plan a long time ago. I’m more of a hands-on kind of learner. You might have noticed that?” Dean asked, getting a nod in return. “Yeah, so, I already know a lot, been helping dad out since I was walking, practically. So, work for Dad, learn as much as I can from him and the other shop workers directly, take these special kinds of tests – the um, whaddya call ‘ems? You show you have the knowledge and you get credit towards a degree without having to take a class. Gotta pay for it obviously, else how would the colleges make any money, right? And what dad can’t teach me, I’ll take online courses for. Really, we got it all planned out. And…this, all of this, it doesn’t change anything, Cas. I can still do all that  _ and  _ be a dad, and your mate, if you choose it. Just…get to know me, give it some thought. Please?”

“Of course, Dean. I admit, I’m very relieved to know that I haven’t destroyed your future plans and dreams,” Cas said quietly.

“Cas, this ain’t on just you. It was both of us that got together, and it was an accident that you got pregnant. I mean, 1 in a million chance the condom breaks…and then for your birth control to fail. I mean…we couldn’t have predicted that, any of it. I just wish it hadn’t hurt you so much,” Dean stared at him earnestly and Cas did his best to reassure him.

Sometimes, they talked of inconsequential things, the little things that didn’t necessarily mean anything in and of themselves, but meant you were learning who the other person was. Things like how Dean hated wearing socks and how Cas hated olives (and that he blamed his brother for that. Dean also took note of how happy talking about his brother would initially make the teacher, but then inevitably his face would fall and his scent would sadden and Dean vowed to make his family pay for the way they had treated Cas. He just had to figure out how, first).

When John came home, dinner would happen, a family meal that fed into Dean’s current contentment, followed by Family nights in the living room. Video games or tv, sometimes board games or card games. The participants always varied though Cas would at least observe if he didn’t play. The night invariably ending with Cas falling asleep on the couch. He fell asleep a lot, and at first Dean was worried but he was assured by pretty much everyone (including Sam, who’d looked it up on the internet, the nerd) that it was perfectly normal at the stage Cas was in.

“Besides,” John whispered one night, “Let him catch up on that sleep ahead of time because a baby is gonna keep us  _ all  _ awake, but especially him. He’s going to tire out quickly. He’ll need help but refuse it because he thinks he should. Mary was the same way and I’m positive Cas will be even worse. So let him sleep while he can.”

And little by little, Dean and Cas got brave enough to relax around each other, to not second guess themselves if they leaned in for a touch. Cas was adamant that nothing further would happen till Dean was properly of age, and Dean’s parents – frustratingly, but understandingly – both agreed  _ and _ approved of Cas’s plan.

The day that Dean dared to touch Cas’s stomach, to feel the fluttering of new life inside him, Dean choked up several times. They sat like that on the couch for who knew how long, Cas curled against Dean with Dean’s head resting on top of Cas’s, his hand stretched out over the now quite visible baby bump Cas was sporting.

Dean still couldn’t believe this was real. That Cas was here, that he was going to be a dad. Some people might think having a kid while still in high school would be a life ruiner but, somehow, Dean knew it wouldn’t. That he would never regret this.

He couldn’t say that there wouldn’t be hard times, or that he and Cas wouldn’t argue and fight – damn, but Cas was pretty stubborn sometimes – but he was pretty sure that any way Cas let Dean into his life would only be good. It was in this moment, right here, that Dean realized he loved the Omega. And the feeling was so much more, so much more powerful and  _ real  _ than what he’d thought back when he’d met the man. Back when it had only been biology telling them they were the real deal.

Despite the trouble between then and now, Dean realized this was better. This was honest and true. He honestly loved and adored Cas. The sparks of promise from the night at the club had bloomed fully and the feeling was overwhelming. He swallowed against a lump in his throat, his lips working against each other as he struggled to keep his breathing even. He didn’t want to disturb Cas or this perfect moment.

And then Cas reached for the Alpha, covering Dean’s hand with his own as they rested on his belly. He threaded his fingers between Dean’s and squeezed. Dean’s breath hitched and he buried his face in Cas’s hair, sniffling, eyes wet.

“Are you all right, Dean?”

“Yeah, I’m just…will you stay, Cas? With me? You and the baby? It would make me so happy…as long as you were happy too.” Dean whispered, the words all but muffled from where he spoke into Cas’s hair.

Cas didn’t answer him. Not out loud, but the fingers around Dean’s squeezed again, and didn’t stop. That’s when the scent hit Dean, despite burrowing into Cas’s hair – or maybe because of it – but the Omega was happy too, and hopeful. And Dean squeezed back.

They sat like that for a short time before Cas  _ did  _ speak, “I was thinking about baby names. Actually, been thinking about names for a while.”

“Yeah? Got any good ones?” Dean’s heart skipped a beat, maybe two before trying to lodge itself in his throat. He cleared it in his attempt to talk like a normal person and not the overly excited one he felt like he was.

“I believe so, but I wanted to know if you had any suggestions of your own?” Cas asked. The simple question made Dean beam. Surprised but happy that Cas was including him like this. Dean and Cas weren’t mates and – although he had his hopes – might never  _ be  _ mates. But the fact that Cas wanted him involved with their baby…it was a good sign, Dean thought.

“Do…did you find out what the baby is?” Dean asked hesitantly. He knew a lot of people didn’t bother finding out and he honestly couldn’t decide if he wanted to know or wait for the surprise.

“I um, I didn't. I had the nurse write it down and give it to Mary because I couldn’t decide which I would prefer. I’m not sure I wish to get my hopes up for one or the other, in case they were wrong. And yet, I can’t deny…”

“That you have a rampant case of curiosity just eating at ya?” Dean chuckled at Cas’s emphatic nod against his shoulder, despite that it almost knocked Dean in the chin. “Yeah, I think I know what you mean. So that means you’ve been thinking of names for boy  _ or  _ a girl, just to be prepared, right? What have you got so far?”

“Well, what I have is a notebook filled with names, but I think I’m leaning towards Anna Elizabeth and Joshua – though I can’t find something I like to go with Joshua.”

“Anna Elizabeth – that has a nice sound to it Cas,” Dean rolled the names over his tongue a few times and Cas smiled.

“Thank you, Dean,” he rumbled out. “Do you have any ideas for the other?”

“Hmmm…” Dean liked Joshua, but he could see what Cas meant. It was hard to find something that sounded just right to go with it. He ran through the names of his family first, then nixed that idea before he got too far. He didn’t want the poor kid confused if he should be named after somebody close. Looking further afield, he thought of some of his favorite bands. Joshua John almost worked but that had his dad’s name so no. Joshua Robert, Robert Joshua, nope. Also, the short of Robert was too close to his Uncle Bobby. Scratch that idea…he was silent a long while before he spoke again, “What do you think about Joshua James?”

“Please don’t tell me we would call him JJ?” Castiel’s voice was even but his scent was amused.

“Why? You got something against JJ?” Dean grinned, teasing right back.

“Not particularly, but I caught a show on tv that Sam assures me is popular right now and I don’t want people thinking we named our child after a tv character,” Cas explained.

“How do you feel about musicians?” Dean worried at his bottom lip, waiting the answer.

“Those are okay,” Castiel agreed and Dean relaxed, causing Cas to chuckle. There was silence for some moments. Long enough that Dean was certain Cas had fallen asleep again.

“I do want to stay, Dean, if you really want this with me. I just…I feel like I’m taking advantage of you,” Cas whispered, his fingers twisting painfully in Dean’s.

“No, no, Cas, you’re not,” Dean’s heart ached at the smell underlying Cas’s normal scent. It was uncertain and afraid and not anything Dean was really used to smelling off of him. “Fuck, I wish I knew some way to convince you of this.”

Castiel sighed, pulling away, “I think…I think that’s something only time will solve.”

An idea sparked and Dean berated himself for not thinking of it sooner. He lifted a hand to Cas’s face and gently pushed the hair out of his eyes, looking into the deep blue sadness that stared back at him. “Cas, I know we have to wait…at least another year, but god, I love you. If you don’t believe me, please, just…” Dean encouraged Castiel to lean forward and put his nose to Dean’s neck, “Just take a whiff and tell me what you smell.”

He practically held his breath as Cas’s nose brushed Dean’s throat, sliding down to the juncture where a mating bite would eventually go, and inhaled deeply. The touch made Dean shiver with feeling and longing. The fingers still entwined with Dean’s twitched and spasmed, Cas gasping at the strength of whatever he found there – but Dean was certain, absolutely certain, that Cas would agree that what Dean felt  _ was _ the real thing, not merely the illusion of love.

“How is this real?” Castiel whispered, “How did we manage this?” The Omega pulled back to stare at Dean with those soulful eyes, and Dean nearly whimpered at the separation. He held it back. Because this wasn’t about him. At least, not just him.

“I dunno, babe, but I don’t wanna question it. I just want to be with you and our child and just, I wanna build a life together with you, Cas,” Dean reached out again. “I wish I were older. I wish…there’s so many things I wish. I know how I feel about you, but I can’t help fearing that I’m  _ too  _ young. That my inexperience and, and…my love of, of childish things just make you want to run far away from me.”

“What childish things?” Cas tilted his head.

Dean shrugged, “Y’know. Like, video games and, and geeking out about comics and movies and stuff.”

“Dean, I don’t think those are childish at all. And I’m grateful that you’re sharing your love of these things with me. I missed out on so much when I grew up that…I sometimes feel like I never learned about the real me. Truly, I’m envious of you in so many ways.”

“Seriously?” Dean’s astonishment was obviously quite clear, because Cas wrinkled up his nose slightly, even as his eyes crinkled and he gave Dean a gummy little grin.

“Yes, Dean,” Castiel assured.

“You’re perfect,” Dean breathed.

Castiel laughed again and the lightness of the laugh made Dean’s heart lift more at the joyous sound, “Hardly that, but thank you.”

“No problem, Cas,” Dean answered as the two of them settled back against the couch, the tv still playing in the background.

Neither of them noticed when the other fell asleep, curled together and content.


	9. Look Who's Come to Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No sooner than Cas and Dean start to feel comfortable but life throws them another twist - but at least it's a good one. It's about time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's officially Tuesday by EST so here's the next chapter. This is gonna be a busy week for me, I have a convention this weekend BUT it's local and the hours for the Artists Alley are relatively short so You might get chapter 10 a little early :D
> 
> Got a picture for this chapter - could have gone to the end of the last chapter but i'm glad i waited. 
> 
> Picture is Ink, then colored in Photoshop - BUT - the ink is not the way i traditionally ink. I think i was inspired by Inktober (which I'm also participating in) i usually use pens with carefully precise lines of different sizes, switching out when i want a thicker or thinner line one. This time, i used a BRUSH pen, which is less precise and gives you different lines depending on how you press down. I'm not very good with a brush, usually, especially for linework but I really like how this came out.
> 
> Also, I think this may actually be the first time i've tried to draw anyone pregnant...  
> Picture took me the entirety of the Disney Tarzan movie to design in pencil, ink, erase the pencil, re-ink, scan and color. Not bad :D

John came home late that evening, almost late for dinner. He stepped into his house and bent down to take off his work boots. He paused and sniffed the air. What was that smell? He laughed silently at himself. That was sometimes a dangerous question, but in his own house, he was damned if he wasn’t going to know all of what was going on. Following his nose, he found himself pulled to the living room where he found his son and his not so new houseguest both asleep on the couch together.

With a sigh, he sat down on the other couch, the small loveseat reserved most often for him and Mary. He’d wanted to hate Cas so much, and his anger had pretty much all drained away that first night they’d met. And now, now he was finding that Cas meant alot to him.

It was damn obvious that Cas meant alot to Dean.

Could Dean and Cas be right about being True Mates? The more and more the two interacted, the more John got to witness, the more he doubted his adamant refusal that it was at all likely the two of them would just  _ happen  _ to meet and just  _ happen  _ to be True Mates.

He knew that Cas and Dean had done  _ nothing _ inappropriate since Cas had come to live under their roof – there wouldn’t be any hiding it if they had – yet they just grew closer all the time. This wasn’t simply a case of lust.

It was love.

John ran a hand down his face and nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand touched his hair, the fingers scratching at his scalp. He quickly melted into Mary’s side, sliding an arm up and around her waist as she stood beside him, staring at the tableau in front of them as well.

“If couples these days were even half as in love with each other as those two are,” she said in that quiet way she had, “I think there’d be less broken matings.”

John shivered at the idea. A broken mating went against the core of every Alpha and Omega out there. Given time, the bonds dug so deep that it  _ hurt  _ to break a mating. The longer the mating, the deeper the bond, the harsher the pain. It was why so many older couples rarely survived the death of their mate. It was just too painful.

That so many were willing to break such a bond anyway…it’s what scared John the most, afraid for his son. Castiel was so much older than Dean (“Not  _ so  _ much older,” Mary had reminded him more than once since Castiel came to live there) and Dean was so  _ young _ (“So were we, John, and we’re still here,” Mary had continued, always able to read his mind somehow) that surely they would discover in a few years’ time that this had all been a mistake?

Reading his mind again, Mary leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head, “All it takes is one look, one inhale, and you can see this is not a mistake. It’s just bad timing,” she insisted. “We should give them the okay. You know if we do, it makes it legal for them to mate, without censure, and it will make things easier for them when the baby is born. Be honest. Who would Cas rather have in the delivery room when he gives birth? One of us or Dean?”

Dean and Cas stirred, shifting closer on the couch, Dean’s hand slipped down to cover Cas’s stomach, and the Omegas hand covered Dean’s. The touch was innocent, yet so intimate that John felt like he was intruding.

He opened his mouth to speak, still unsure yet of what his answer would be, when the doorbell rang. Dean jumped, eyes snapping open, surprised to see his parents staring at them and blushing. He made to get up, starting to carefully slide his hand out from under Cas’s, when John waved him back.

“I’ve got it, Dean.” Dean nodded and closed his eyes again, falling back asleep with that resilience of youth that John wished he still had.

He stood, and in sock clad feet, headed for the front door, wondering who it could possibly be. Maybe it was Cain? But no, the man would have simply called John. With a frown, he opened the door and had to look down at the short man on the other side.

“Hello?” John grumbled out.

“Hello – is this the Winchester residence?” The short blond was radiating anxiousness so deeply it was nearly nauseating. Johns eyes narrowed.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Look, name’s Gabriel and I’m looking for my brother and this is the only lead I got. You gotta help me.” Gabriel begged.

“You’re a damn Novak,” John growled, “Why the hell would I want to help you find Cas after what your family did?”

“Is he here? Oh please, god, tell me he’s here? I was in India for the last two months and I had no idea what had happened till I got back. You don’t know what it was like, to come home and find that not only is your baby brother  _ missing _ but your parents are disavowing ever even having a son named Castiel and they won’t  _ tell  _ me what happened!” Gabriel’s scent was now a mix of desperate and hopeful and John found himself deflating in the face of it.

“Fuck,” John said eloquently as he rubbed his face again. “All right, fine, you can come in, but if you  _ start  _ anything, you’ll find yourself out on your ass so fast, you won’t remember I even let you  _ in. _ ”

Gabriel nodded frantically, “Of course, mister. No trouble. I just want to make sure he’s okay.”

John snorted and backed away from the door, holding it open for Gabriel. “He’s just through there but quiet. He’s sleeping. He needs his rest right now, so don’t wake him up,” John admonished. “We plan to wake your brother for dinner, so you can join us if you like. As long as you behave.”

Gabriel shot him a confused look and John felt a surge of satisfaction at the shock the man was about to receive. This should show Gabriel’s true colors and his real depth of feelings for his brother. John ushered Gabriel in before him, angling himself so he could see Gabriel’s reaction and not just scent it.

He wasn’t disappointed. Gabriel stopped short nearly as soon as he crossed the threshold to the livingroom and his eyes landed on his brother and John’s son, cuddled together on the couch, their hands clasped over Castiel’s now  _ very  _ obvious stomach.

Gabriel took a step forward, stumbled and reached out for something, anything to grab onto and John was unlucky enough to be that something. “Oh god, is he…is he all right? How’d this happen?”

“How do people normally get pregnant?” John shot back unsympathetically. Though he had to concede that so far, Gabriel’s colors were promising.

“Do you think this is a laughing matter?” Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at the Alpha and John bristled. “Wait…is this…was the pregnancy why mom and dad kicked Cassie out?”

“No, it was your brothers disgraceful discharge from the school that did that. Far as I figure, from what your brothers told us, is that they didn’t even know about the pregnancy.” Mary joined them.

“I don’t…I don’t understand what’s going on?” Gabriel’s voice was so small, so lost, and his scent so confused and worried that John sighed and motioned him out of the room again. Gabriel stiffened, eyes widening and he shook his head vehemently. “No! I’m not leaving till someone tells me – “

“Relax, Novak. I’m not kicking you out of the house just yet. Please, follow my wife into the kitchen so we can talk without waking them.” John nearly rolled his eyes, but…if his eyes and nose wasn’t deceiving him, Gabriel was one of the good guys. That he was obviously worried for his brother, honestly cared for him, all of it was a good sign.

Mere moments later found John, Mary and Gabriel in the kitchen, Mary settling him down in a seat with tea while John stirred the turkey noodle soup she’d been making. God, it smelled good. And it was nearly overpowering all the other scents in the room which was a goddamn bonus. Amused, John watched as Gabriel absentmindedly dumped teaspoon after teaspoon of sugar into his tea, occasionally stirring it while Mary talked, explained what had happened and what they were all doing about it.

Mary had just about finished when Dean shuffled in with a yawn. Gabriel’s head shot around to face him, staring hard and Dean halted and stared back warily. “What the fuck is wrong with  _ you? _ Is there, like, drool on my face or whatever?”

Gabriel shook his head and Dean shrugged. He pilfered two bottles of water from the fridge and rummaged in the cabinet for crackers.

“Those better not be for you, Dean. Dinner’s almost ready and I won’t have you spoiling your appetite,” Mary called from the table.

“Jeez, mom, no they’re not for me. They’re for Cas. He’s feeling a little peckish and a little queasy at the same time. Like, seriously, how’s that even work?”

Mary frowned “Not very well, actually. We might want to talk to Pamela about the prenatal vitamins he’s on. Though, if they’re the cause, then I’m surprised it took that long to get a reaction like that from him. It’s usually an either or kind of thing.”

Dean froze, his scent spiking high enough for John to catch over the mouthwatering smell of homemade soup, “You mean that’s  _ not  _ normal?” Dean’s voice rose in pitch even as his scent did. “Mom, is he gonna be okay? And…and…” Dean trailed off, eyes wide and panicking.

Mary surged up from her seat and hugged her son. “He has an appointment tomorrow, okay? Unless something weird happens tonight, he should make it till tomorrow and we’ll just talk to Pam, okay? Don’t freak him out. That’s one of the worst things you can do right now.”

He swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, okay, I’ll try.” With his goodies in tow, Dean made his escape and the scent he left behind faded.

John lowered the temperature on the pot of soup and joined Mary and Gabriel at the table. He sat down and crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the other man. John wasn’t sure, but he thought Gabriel might be a Beta. The man wasn’t reacting as strongly to the scents that he kept encountering as other people would.

“So…” John dangled the word in front of Gabriel, waiting for his response.

“So….? So, what now? Do you think that lawsuit will work?” Gabriel asked. “Being a teacher has been Cas’s dream for a long time. I’d hate to think he’d lost it forever because…because of me.”

“Because of you?” Mary and John exchanged looks, “How on earth is any of this on you?”

“How? Because Cas wouldn’t have been there if I hadn’t brought him. He wouldn’t have even contemplated hooking up with anyone if I hadn’t encouraged him. I provided him with a condom that – surprise! – was apparently defective. How is it  _ not  _ my fault?”

“Because I didn’t  _ have  _ to agree to go in with you. And all the encouragement in the world would never have made me hook up with someone I didn’t really want, and you couldn’t have known the condom was defective. I made my own choices. As did you, as did Dean.” Castiel spoke quietly from the door, Dean hovering behind him. “If this is no more my fault, or his, then it is even less yours.”

“Cas,” Gabriel spun around in his chair at the first sound of the gravelly voice. He whispered his brother’s name, tears pricking at his eyes before lunging up and enveloping Castiel in a hug. “Cassie, god, I’ve been so worried. Why didn’t you call me?”

“I…wasn’t sure I’d be welcome after the mess I had made,” Cas returned the hug. “I know it wasn’t truly anybody’s fault, but when mom and dad kicked me out…I couldn’t think. Then the twins renounced me as well and…and you were in India. For all I knew, you felt the same was as Michael and Lucifer.”

“Never! Please, Cassie, don’t ever compare me with those stuck up bags of dicks ever again,” Gabriel said in affront, the sniffle at the end ruining the vehemence of his words, though not the sincerity of them.

“Gabe? Gabe, I’m all right…” Cas patted at his brother's back as the shorter man cried.

“I know, I know…I’m just…” Gabe sobbed, “I’m just so relieved. I was so scared.” The tears and sobbing finally died off and Gabriel wiped his nose off on Cas’s sleeve with a small, wet grin.

Cas rolled his eyes, “Gabe, really?”

“What?” Gabriel’s smile widened into a smirk.

“There are tissues right next to you,” Cas said with a sigh, “There are times when I wonder if you’re actually the elder brother…”

“You love me anyway, Cassie,” Gabriel finally let go in time to see a gawky kid with floppy hair enter the room. The kid froze and stared at Gabriel with wide eyes.

“Who are you?” he demanded, the surprise in his voice and the curiosity in his scent lessening the harshness of the question.

“Sam, this is my brother, Gabriel. Gabe, this is Dean’s brother Sam,” Castiel introduced, taking a seat at the table next to Dean who had taken the time Cas and Gabe spent in their reunion to help set for dinner – with an extra setting for Gabe, Cas was over the moon to see. “Gabriel, are you staying for dinner?”

“Ah, yes, definitely,” Gabriel eyed John and Mary Winchester with an inquiring brow and they both nodded. With a sigh of relief and a gleeful smile, Gabe immediately placed himself on Castiel’s other side, sandwiching Cas between him and Dean.

Between them all, dinner was soon served, though Gabriel was concerned that Cas was barely eating. He could see that Dean was as well, and close to panicking at that. He opened his mouth to speak, but never got the chance.

“So, what are you going to do now, Gabriel?” Mary asked first.

“About…what?” taken by surprise, Gabriel found himself unable to switch gears – which was an odd and unusual state of affairs.

“Now that you know the truth of what happened, what will you do about your family?” John clarified.

“Oh…pfft,” Gabriel waved his hand around, “I already told them to stick it.”

Castiel’s spoon dropped into his soup with a splash and a clatter as he gaped at his brother. Dean barely paused except to mumble a very strong “Good” around his own spoon.

“What? Why?” Castiel uttered in shock.

“Why?  _ Why _ ? How could you ask me that? Cassie, I know you. You wouldn’t hurt a freakin’ fly. There was no way you’d done anything that was deserving of their treatment of you. Hell, you’ve been the only one worth it in that entire family. If they kicked you out, they might as well have kicked me out too. So, I kicked myself out. No way was I staying under  _ their  _ roof after  _ that! _ ” Gabriel looked so fierce in that moment, that it was like he was an avenging angel.

“But…Gabe…your schooling? And where are you living?” Castiel’s eyes were still wide and even the Winchesters paused at his questions to stare at Gabriel.

“I’m mostly finished with all that. That’s what the trip to India was for, remember? I was getting a glimpse of what it was like to work for some of the culinary greats. I think I can scrape enough money up to finish out the last credits. I’ve already got offers too, to some of the greatest restaurants around. It’ll be a good startup for me. I just have to decide which one,” Gabriel grinned.

“You’re a chef? That’s awesome!” Dean exclaimed and his family laughed fondly.

“Always thinking with your stomach,” Sam giggled.

“Wait, Gabe, you haven’t answered the other question,” Cas pushed anxiously.

Gabriel shifted his eyes away from his brother and stared intently at his soup, toying with the spoon, “Don’t worry about it, bro.”

“You’re my brother, of course I’m going to worry about you,” Cas wasn’t even pretending to eat now, and Dean paused at the anxiousness rolling off of him. Dropping his own spoon, Dean turned in his seat to angle himself better to rub at Cas’s back. Gabriel looked up and smiled at Dean approvingly but refused to answer Cas.

“This soup is really good, Mrs. Winchester – “ Gabriel changed the subject.

“Well, I’m not a chef or anything, but thank you. And please, call us Mary and John. You’re family now,” she smiled at him and he smiled back.

John cleared his throat and, after a glance at the still anxious Cas, spoke to Gabriel, “I think you should answer your brother. It’s not good for him to worry, and the fact that you won’t answer him…” John didn’t need to finish that statement. It was all too clear to everyone around him what he meant.

With a sigh, Gabriel lowered his spoon again. “I…um…packed up everything I cared about, a few things of Cas’s too since it was obvious he left in a rush, and it’s all in the car right now. I haven’t actually found a place to live yet. But the weather’s been pretty mild lately and I always keep blankets in the car so I’ve been good.”

“Gabriel…” Cas whispered, his heart aching at the words, despite that having essentially been his own plans, originally, before their parents had taken his car away from him.

“I didn’t want to say anything, ‘cause I figured it would worry you worse…” Gabriel finally looked up at his brother, his face dead serious, “and I was right, wasn’t I?”

John watched the brothers interact, the depth of their brotherly bond as deep and as caring as the one between Sam and Dean. His worries about Gabriel being unfounded caused a wave of relief, but the look of worry in Castiel’s eyes was cause for concern. He had to admit, sleeping in your car was not the best choice out there.

Especially if there was another option. He looked at Mary and she turned to look at him. With the barest of glances, she nodded. Their bond was such that they didn’t always need words.

“Gabriel, why don’t we make up the couch for you tonight, and then discuss further arrangements tomorrow, after we’ve all had a good night’s sleep?” John offered.

The relief that spread through Castiel at John's words was immense – relief and gratefulness – flooding the small kitchen with his scent. He sagged in his chair against Dean, murmuring, “Thank you,” quietly to John.

John gave a short little nod to acknowledge it, but kept his eyes on a now gaping Gabriel. He closed and opened his mouth a few times and John was suddenly certain that Gabriel was not one to be at a loss for words too often. “I…thank you, but you don’t have to – “

“We said you’re family, and we meant it. And family don’t let each other suffer through hard times if they can help. We can help, so we will.” John spoke in a tone that brooked no argument.

Almost as soon as he closed his mouth on the last word, John was surprised by the screech of a chair and a body that fell into his, arms wrapped around him tight and a wetness that fell on his shoulder. Hesitantly, he patted Castiel’s’ back and cast a bemused look at his wife.

“Thank you, thank both of you. I don’t know how I could ever repay either of you for the kindness you’ve already shown me, that you are showing my brother…I…” Castiel’s voice was low and broken and thick with feeling. This close, Johns’ nose nearly clogged with it. He patted Cas on the back a little awkwardly before the Omega backed away and pulled Mary into a similar hug. She was much less reserved in her return of affection, smoothing down the perpetually wild hair that made John shake his head in disbelief – or wonder if he and his son had been doing things they’d promised they weren’t doing.

As soon as dinner was over, Castiel followed Gabriel out to his car, Dean and the rest of the Winchesters staying behind to give the brothers their space. Gabe reached into the front seat and pulled out a nearly identical, though much more travel worn, backpack to the one Cas had lived out of for a month and locked up.

He tossed it over one shoulder and looked at Cas with a strange smile, “This wasn’t the way I wanted things to work out for you, bro. When I took you out to celebrate, when you asked me to help you find your True Mate…So much bad has happened and yet…just…just  _ look at you _ .” Gabriel shook his head, stunned, “I mean, I don’t understand it. I don’t know if it’s baby glow or what, but you look…you look happy, Cassie…”

“I am. Very happy, Gabe. And you’re right, it defies all logic. I lost my job, my home and,” he paused and smiled at Gabriel again, tears once more threatening to fall, “ _ most  _ of my family. I lived nearly on the streets for a month and my True Mate is unreachable and I’m pregnant and yet…” Castiel sighed, “and yet…”

“And yet, here you are. You have a new home and a wonderful, supporting family, you have your True Mate close by and it’s just a matter of time for that.  You have a win for you in the works to get your job back, and with all that, you get to bring new life to the world. Something precious and ready to be loved…” Gabriel spoke softly, softer than Cas could remember his brother ever being. Their astonished, happy smells mingled together lightly before being washed away by the breeze and together to went back inside the house.

The Winchesters were nothing if not hospitable, and Castiel found Gabriel being welcome with even warmer sentiments than he initially had – but then again, he didn’t blame John for that. It still surprised Castiel that John had  _ ever  _ warmed up to him.

Dean and Cas made room for Gabriel on the couch, squeezing Cas into the middle without actually squeezing of course, and Gabriel rather loudly and enthusiastically joined in with playing the video games. Eventually, John and Mary broke out another movie and Cas fell asleep on Dean as he’d been doing so often lately. Dean had to chuckle lightly, trying not to disturb Cas, when he spotted Gabriel’s worried look.

“It’s okay man, the sleeping thing is perfectly normal,” Dean assured him.

“But…are you  _ really _ certain of that?” Gabe’s eyes flicked up briefly from his brother, to Dean and back again.

“Stop worryin’, Gabe,” Castiel slurred slightly from his spot against Dean, not even bothering to fight to get his eyes open.

“Hey, ba- uh, Cas, let’s get you to bed,” Dean encouraged, edging carefully to get himself in a good enough position to get up and bring Cas with him.

This time Cas frowned and  _ did  _ open his eyes. He raised his head groggily to look up at Dean. “But,” he looked around, spotted the still playing movie and tilted his head, “But family night isn’t…over…yet…” he yawned in the middle of his words and his eyes started slipping closed again.

“Yeah, I know sleepy head, but I think I’ll head to bed too, if that makes you feel any better. And, it’s also past bedtimes for mini-mooses too.”

Dean looked at his brother with a shit eating grin and Sam glowered back. John chuckled as Mary admonished them to behave, and to “For god’s– and Castiel’s – sake, stay quiet!”

  
  



	10. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabe gets settled in and Cas settles in more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're closing in on the end! I'm on my way out to a con so i decided to post early in case i got too tired tonight and forgot.
> 
> which is possible cause i'm already up hours earlier than normal for me after staying up after 2am so i could watch the season premier on the website. i am dead.
> 
> have fluff

The next morning was a lazy one. Everyone woke sluggishly after staying up so late. Breakfast was made around 11 am, Gabriel helping Mary while everyone else nursed coffees and teas. Cas sighed longingly, leaning over to sniff deeply at Dean’s coffee. Mary smiled at the adorably grumpy look on his face. Gabriel watched in mock horror and shock when Cas sipped at his tea instead – decaf, of course.

As they ate, John making the bacon after Mary and Gabe started taking egg orders – though Gabe threatened to just scramble it all - Sam begged to visit his friend Kevin. With a quick look at each other, silent communication that nobody else in the room seemed to catch, Mary shrugged, then nodded and John told Sam yes.

Shouting exuberantly, Sam leapt up from the table leaving his breakfast half eaten, shoving the plate over at Cas and darted away the kitchen. Gabriel blinked in astonishment and Dean just chuckled. Cas didn’t even pause as he scraped Sam’s food onto his plate.

After breakfast, John drove Sam over to Kevin’s, returning to find Gabriel pleading to go with Cas to the doctors. Mary acted reluctant, but John could practically  _ smell  _ the approval on her…and something sly as well.

Gabriel got really insistent about going as soon as he discovered it was ultrasound day. “I wanna see the little bean!” Gabriel beamed excitedly. After a brief, considering look, Mary relinquished her normal place beside Dean and Cas. Gabriel gleefully went along, Dean driving since there was no room in Gabriel’s car, though it was clear he wanted to offer, to  _ do  _ something for his brother after  _ not  _ being there when it counted.

Not that Cas - or anyone else – blamed him. How was Gabriel to have known something had happened?

Sending them off with admonishments about what to ask when they saw Pamela, Mary returned to the kitchen, catching John is mid sip of his second cup of coffee. He paused, then continued, swallowing before setting down his mug and looking to his wife pointedly.

She sat down beside him and he sighed. “Do we actually need to talk about this?”

“John…I would never presume to know your mind – “ she said, glaring when he snorted, “ Especially not for something as important or as life changing as this.”

“Now that’s a lie,” he said with good humor and a smirk and she laughed. “But I suppose you’re right. So, there’s several topics here, and they all connect with each other, I think.” She nodded at his words. “I already know you think we should give Castiel and Dean our sanction. You also think we should offer his brother a more permanent place to stay, yes?”

She nodded again, letting him talk it out. She knew he’d get where she wanted him eventually.

“You want to give up our living room to a guest for an indefinite length of time?” John asked incredulously.

“No, we won’t need to give up anything,” Mary answered slowly, watching John take another fortifying sip of his coffee. He probably wished he had something in it to  _ really  _ fortify it. But he knew better than that.

John groaned and rubbed his forehead. “You want to give Gabriel the room his brother is using and just put Castiel in Dean’s room?” If anything, John’s incredulousness had increased tenfold.

“That sounds about right. It’ll be a lot less cramped that way,” Mary said.

John wanted to pretend but he saw the sense of it. He sighed deeply and nodded. “Fine, I’ll give it my official sanction too. That doesn’t mean Cas will take us up on it. He’s pretty stubborn and he’s been pretty adamant not to touch Dean that way again till he’s of age.”

“That may be so, but they can at least share a room, share a bed. It’ll be better for Castiel to be able to be with his mate that way. I know that it was a great comfort for me,” Mary said softly. “As crazy as I drove you and you drove me, nothing calmed me, nothing comforted me better than simply being in your arms, being surrounded by your scent. We can give them that, at least. If they wait for the rest, that’s fine too.”

“This goes against everything I know…” John pointed out.

“I know. Now,” she smirked, “Who gets to give them the good news?”

“We decided together, we should tell them together,” John said, reaching his hand out for hers, twining their fingers together.

She leaned closer to him with another smirk, dropping a peck on his cheek. “Smart man…”

When Dean, Cas and Gabriel returned from the Ultrasound later that afternoon, everyone settled into the living room. Gabriel went for his bag and Cas finally broke away from where he was staring at the ultrasound picture held tenderly in his hands to look up at his brother.

“Where are you going?” His voice raised only slightly, but his scent drooped with worry and sadness.

“Well, I’m gonna…go find someplace to stay, Cassie, so you don’t worry about me, okay bro?” Gabriel said. He lifted his bag over one shoulder and then stood there, reluctant to actually leave now that he had his brother again.

His fingers twitched and Dean looked between the brothers, biting his lip. It wasn’t his place to offer, but he thought for sure his parents would have. A sound in the doorway made him look over to see his parents there, casually blocking Gabriel’s way.

“So, Gabriel, why don’t you put your bag down for a moment while we all have a talk?” John said by way of preamble.

“Uh…talk about…what, exactly?” Gabriel looked uncertainly at the Winchesters, then to his brother and back. “Thought we kinda talked over everything last night?”

“About Cas, yes. But it’s time to discuss you,” Mary said gently. “So drop the bag and sit down.”

Gabriel blinked in stunned surprise at the shift in her tone. Still warm and yet so full of steel, full of _ you better do what I say right now, young man! _ than he’d expected out of the gentle seeming Omega. His ass dropped into a nearby seat before he’d even realized he’d done it.

“Uh…what?” he said dumbly.

Assured now that Gabriel wasn’t about to bolt, John and Mary moved further into the room and settled into their usual place on the loveseat. “We’ve been discussing it – and Mary and I have come to an agreement – and an offer.” John then sat back and gave the floor to Mary.

“Dean, Cas, whether you wish to make your relationship official now or wait until Dean’s 18, you now have the choice to do so. But in either case, we think that moving Cas up to Dean’s room, if he’s okay with it, would be beneficial for both of you. And if you do that…” Mary trailed off.

Cas caught on very quickly. “If Dean and I share a room, then it frees up the one I was using and…” he looked at Gabriel and back to Mary with a raised brow. “And you’re…offering it to my brother?” Cas asked incredulously. Dean broke out into a huge, beaming smile.

Laughing, Dean ducked a little into Cas, catching his eyes, his scent hopeful. “That’s awesome! Isn’t that awesome? Gabe can stay, and you and I…we can be a little bit closer. And when the baby’s born, won’t it be better to be all together?”

“Dean, I still won’t…”

“I know, Cas, that’s okay. This – what’s between us – it’s more than sex, right? I mean, sure, that uh, that was pretty fuckin’ awesome but…we mean more to each other than just that, don’t we? I can wait…” Dean whispered, his face a little red from the fact that he was discussing something so personal with his parents in the room. But this was important. This was about their future.

“Of course, Dean,” Cas whispered, reaching a hand to touch the Alpha’s freckled cheek reverently. The burst of happiness that spread through the air was overwhelming, coming from multiple sources.

Mary stood again, clapping her hand together. “Well, why don’t we get Cas’s stuff transferred up to Dean’ room – “

Dean stopped her, his head whipping around to face his mother. “Wait, mom, is that a good idea? I mean, stairs? Maybe I should move downstairs with Cas? Also, I mean, it makes more sense anyway, since it’s a bigger room? Don’t you think?”

Mary paused but nodded. “You’re right, Dean. Not that Cas isn’t capable of stairs, but it  _ would  _ be the more comfortable room.”

John leaned over and whispered in her ear. “Also, it’ll be further away from crying babies in the middle of the night. I’m too old to be woken up like that.”

Mary glared mockingly at him, and swatted his arm. “That baby needs something, we’ll all be hearing it, no matter what corner of the house we’re in, so don’t even give me that, John Winchester.” She hissed at him. “ ‘Sides, we all know you’ll be wrapped around that baby’s finger as soon as they’re born.” Raising her voice again, she addressed Gabriel. “So now that Dean and Cas are settled – well, will be settled – how do you feel about staying here?”

If John had been surprised by the sudden and unprecedented hug from Castiel the night before, Mary was just as surprised, but less nonplussed, when she suddenly had her arms filled with a sniffly Gabriel.

“Are you guys angels? Like,  _ real  _ angels? I mean, our family’s named after them, but I think…I think you might actually be angels.” Gabriel sniffed into Mary’s shirt before pulling away, and wiping his hands across his eyes.

Mary handed him a tissue from the side table and Gabriel used it to noisily blow his nose. John winced but stood. “C’mon, Dean. We got the weekend ahead of us. If we’re going to move you downstairs, we got some work to do.”

Cas stood up as Dean did and John opened his mouth to tell him to sit back down but shut it again after he caught the glare Mary was sending his way. “He’s pregnant, not an invalid. Let him do  _ something _ , or it’ll make him miserable and leave him feeling useless!” she hissed at her mate. John sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. But he nodded, acquiescing to Mary’s wisdom.

Together, Dean, Cas and John, all trooped upstairs, while Mary grabbed Gabriel’s arm and dragged him into the kitchen. “Them boys are going to need a treat after that. What do you say about making some chocolate chip cookies?”

“Nice and gooey?” Gabriel asked.

“Very gooey,” Mary assured.

“I’m in.” Gabriel grinned, rolling up his sleeves. Following Mary’s lead – it was  _ her  _ kitchen after all – they got to work.

It was hours later, with the smell of chocolate wafting encouragingly through the house, before the others rejoined them in the kitchen. All of them looked hot and tired and sweaty – including Cas and Mary shot a look of disapproval at John.

He held up his hands defensively and shook his head. “I swear to god, we didn’t let him do any heavy lifting at all.”

“Cas, how you feeling, sweetheart?” Mary asked in concern as the Omega eased slowly into the seat.

“Heavy,” he said.

Gabriel snorted. “Well, as big as you look, I  _ bet  _ you feel heavy! That little guy’s not gonna be so little, is he?”

Cas rolled his eyes and winced, pain flitting across it. Dean sat next to him, rubbing his shoulders and down his spine and into his lower back. Cas whined and leaned forward a little awkwardly, dropping his head onto his crossed arms where they rested on the table.

“What did Pamela say?” Mary sat, after pulling the plates of cookies out of the microwave and setting them down on the table. She noticed quite seriously how Dean didn’t even mention the scent of apple pie that was obviously baking in the oven.

“She said, not long now and that I should switch to Flintstones and that I might need to be prepared to expect back labor,” Cas murmured into his arm.

Mary winced at that. “Ouch. I had back labor with Sam, that wasn’t very fun.”

“Wait, not long now?” Gabriel sat down, brows furrowed, biting his lip and counting on his fingers. “You and Dean met just before school started, so that’s when you got pregnant. So…” he ticked up a finger for every month. “September, October, November, December, January – then you were fired, you spent a month on the streets so that’s 6 months. I was gone for two and I couldn’t find you right away and I left just before everything happened so it’s…Cas, you’re only seven and a half months along! What did she mean by not long now?” Gabriel’s scent turned panicky.

“She means that babies have a habit of not adhering to schedules and that, as a male Omega, I’m more likely to give birth earlier than normal. It’s also why I’m more likely to experience back labor than female Omega’s. I’m actually only the second male Omega she’s seen who was actually pregnant, because male Omega’s are rare, as you well know.” Cas said slowly, his eyes closed in bliss as Dean continued to massage his back.

“Yeah, I knew that, I just…didn’t know the rest. How come we didn’t learn about that stuff in health class?” Gabriel asked, offended. The buzzer went off and he stood, grabbing oven mitts to pull the pie out of the oven. He went to set it on the counter and Mary shook her head, waving it over to the table instead. Gabriel brought it to the unoccupied end of the table so no one would accidentally touch it while it cooled and then returned to his seat, still waiting for an answer. “Cause seriously, I don’t remember anything other than that male Omega’s existed and, well, I already knew  _ that _ .”

“Gabriel, can you honestly say you were paying attention in school?” Cas mumbled.

Gabe’s hand shot to his chest and he managed to look offended, though it was lost on Cas, whose eyes were still closed. “You wound me, Cassie! Why would I not pay attention to something as important as – “ Dean snorted and laughed at the look of fake innocence on Gabriel’s face. “Okay, fine, you’re right. I don’t remember much from health class, I’ll admit it. Here…have a cookie. It’ll make you feel better?” Gabriel said hopefully.

Mary watched Cas sit up laboriously, Dean helping him with worried eye. Gabriel handed him a cookie, then thought better of it and handed him the plate. Mary smiled warmly at Gabriel. She knew the two of them would get along just fine.

Dean pulled Cas into his side, having him lay his head on Dean’s shoulder as he munched on the cookie, his eyes closing once more in bliss and moaning around the soft, chewy goodness. Dean’s eye widened and he swallowed, then he reached for a cookie and hastily shoved it into his mouth. Gabriel snorted and John face-palmed while Mary glared at both of them. But they all were thinking it.

The next year before Dean’s 18 th birthday was going to kill the True Mates…then again, maybe having a baby to distract them would make it easier on them? Who knew.

Conversation turned then to lighter things and Mary asked her mate and her son how the moving had gone.

“It’ just about done. There was some debate about Dean’s bed –“ John started but Dean perked up an interrupted him

“Memory foam, Dad! It’s better for your back and Cas should totally be using it!”

“- but aside from that, we decided to leave most of his furniture upstairs and only move the more transient objects.” Everyone stared at John blankly. “You know, clothes, knickknacks and posters and all that crap he’s gathered over the years. And Cas here helped us organize it all.”

“Yeah, never realized how much shit I had. But we got the important stuff moved. We wanna leave room for the cradle and the other baby stuff we’re gonna need.”

Mary’s eyes lit up. “Ohhhh…we need to have a baby shower!”

Cas’s eyes blinked open. “Oh, no Mary, you’ve all done so much already…I don’t think –“

“Nonsense, Cas.  You’re family, remember?” Mary said firmly. “You both are, okay?”

Mary took in their faces; Cas’s so stoic, betrayed only by his eyes, his scent, and Gabriel’s shuttered in a completely different way while looking more open than his brother. But his scent and eyes matched Cas’s. It was like looking at an open wound that was finally starting to heal.

Mary vowed that if she ever had a chance to meet their parents, she’d give them a piece of her mind.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> jdragon - here are your cookies :D


	11. There’s No Respecting Schedules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting closer and closer to Cas's due date and the Winchesters arrange for his baby shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> non explicit birth and breastfeeding happen in this chapter but YES! for those of you doing the math a few chapters ago, it's just about that time. :D
> 
> After this , only one more chapter to go! Can you believe we're just about ready to wrap up???

Gabriel settled in easier than Cas had hoped.

And Cas and Dean settled together quicker than he’d expected.

Mary had been right. There was nothing quite like going to sleep in the arms of your (almost) mate. Cas felt safe and secure, warm and loved. Turned out, falling into bed with Dean at night meant he fell asleep less often during family nights. Pamela had laughed when he mentioned it at the next appointment.

“You needed your mate, lover boy. Since you weren’t getting him, you couldn’t relax. It was making your pregnancy harder. When did you fall asleep? When you were sitting beside him, spending time with him, cuddling him, scenting him,” she said with a grin. “I know I told you all this before, and I understand why you’ve been denying yourself what you wanted, but your body knew what you needed. So, it took care of it. You should find that you have a little more energy now, at least.”

As Cas got closer to his delivery date, Mary and Gabriel put their heads together and worked out the details of a baby shower, and who they would invite. It would be small. With the court case – and Cas’s name still being dragged through the mud – it would have to be. Cain was making headway, but the school was pulling out the stops, pointing out how Cas was now living in the home of the very student he’d been accused of sleeping with.

Cain then pointed out how the school itself had driven Cas into the arms of that student by firing without a proper investigation and destroying his life, leaving him nowhere else to go, going so far as to list a fairly hefty amount in damages to be paid out by the school that Cas had never even asked for.

He just wanted his job back.

He just wanted to be able to be with his True Mate without censure.

He wanted people to believe him when he insisted that there was nothing – currently – going on between him and Dean. That there would never have been an encounter if he’d realized how young Dean was. That they were, for all intents and purposes, promised to each other but waiting till Dean  _ was  _ of age.

It hurt that many didn’t believe him simply because he was an Omega, because he must have enticed Dean somehow. Must still be doing so if he was living with the boy.

At least the Winchesters and their close friends and Gabriel knew better. The people who mattered the most to Cas knew better.

He no longer cared what his parents or his other brothers thought. They obviously didn’t care enough about him to see past the ‘ruin’ of their good name. So instead, he threw himself into preparing for the baby with the newfound energy he had. His back still hurt – a lot – but Dean helped with that immensely. Cas would swear the Alpha had magic fingers.

Only a few weeks after moving Dean’s stuff to be with Cas, John and Mary had gone up into the attic and returned with a few things. Cas now stood in the room, figuring out the best layout for the furniture and directing everyone else around. When they finished, he took a damp cloth and cleaned the dust off the small cradle, the home-made crib, and the changing table. The three pieces of furniture were among the few, real big things he’d been worried about getting his hands on, or putting the Winchesters out to get his hands on and he was glad he no longer had to worry about them.

After that, the last big thing they’d  _ need _ would be a car seat. They could live without a highchair or special play seats or a playpen. It might not be easy, but people had done it for eons. Castiel was sure they’d be able to improvise easily.

Dean came up behind him as Cas wiped the last of the top rail of the crib. It was still naked, but they had time to dress it. Arms wrapped around Cas, coming to rest gently over his belly. Dean murmured into his ear, “I’m told that’s the same crib both Sam and I used and that Grandpa Samuel made it for mom when she was pregnant with me.”

Cas hummed, leaning back into Dean’s reassuring presence, dropping the cloth on the top of the dresser and clasping his hands over Dean’s. it was moments like these, these simple bits of domestic bliss, that Cas wished he could capture and bottle up.

“I’m also told that I had a penchant for chewing the top rail mighty fiercely and that Grandpa had to replace it twice. Just warning you,” Dean said, the unseen grin on his face evident in his tone, his scent. “Our kids got the same genes so…”

“Why am I not surprised, Dean?” Cas asked without turning around.

Dean chuckled. “Uh, ‘cause you know me?” Dean pulled away. “C’mon, mom wants us out in the living room. You all done in here?”

Cas gave the new additions a final look and then nodded. “Yes, I think so.”

“Good,” Dean grinned with barely restrained excitement and Cas wondered if today was the day of his ‘secret’ baby shower. Playing along, he followed Dean out of their –  _ their –  _ bedroom and down the short hall to the living room. As Cas had suspected, there were several occupants, and a table full of presents, now residing there. They must have used the cover of all the noise and Cas’s distraction with the setup of the baby furniture to arrive and set up for the party.

All four Winchesters were there, of course, it being their home. Gabriel too, decked out in the most ridiculous outfit Cas had ever seen. Balthazar was there and Cas swallowed a lump at seeing his best friend for the first time in over three months. The man had been traveling in Europe, starting at the same time Gabe had gone to India, though his traveling had been for less practical reasons than Gabe – easy to do when you came from money and your parents weren’t as stringent as Cas and Gabriel’s were – and only just returned.

When he’d shown up, and shown immediate support of Cas, Mary had invited him to the party straight off and Balthazar, of course, could not refuse.

Cain and Jody were also there, Dean’s Uncle Bobby too, and a woman he hadn’t yet met, Ellen and her daughter Jo. Charlie and Benny were there as well, of course. Then a few more people Cas didn’t yet recognize. He tried to file away their names for the future as he was introduced. Missouri, Donna, Victor, Rufus and Mildred rounded out the party.

Dean led Cas to the seat of honor – decked out in yellow and black instead of the traditional baby shower colors and Cas’s heart melted as he realized they’d decorated using a bumblebee theme for him. He sniffed as he sat down, feeling extremely emotional all of a sudden. Dean sat beside him and soon, the party was well underway.

There wasn’t a lot of presents – unless you realized that it was a fairly small gathering and that each guest had apparently still brought a minimum of two things or more or – in some cases – a  _ lot  _ more. Despite an aching back that Dean provided a heating pad for, Cas avidly and excitedly opened each gift, finding that the bumblebee theme held true throughout nearly all of them. A car seat and highchair. Blankets and pillows. Bibs and onesies, hats and sleepers. A mobile and plushies, binkies and bottles, teethers and rattles. And anything that didn’t come with a bee on it had very obviously been painstakingly added if it was possible to do so.

Except for the veritable wall of diapers in varying sizes on one side of the living room, out of the way but obvious. They came in all brands and colors, but no bees. Nevertheless, Cas nodded very gratefully for the plethora of diapers. From what he’d read, babies went through them a lot, fast. Dean was gaping at the wall of diapers disbelievingly.

“Surely we won’t use  _ all  _ of that?” he whispered in a panic. Cas looked at the diapers and took Dean’s hand in his.

“I assure you, Dean, everybody poops and apparently, babies do most of all. And even if we don’t use them all, I’d rather too many then have to make a midnight run because we ran out. We can always donate the unused ones to those who need them. Like a shelter or…one of those homes for unwed Omegas.”

Castiel winced as the throbbing pain in his back grew worse, allowing Dean to help him to stand when it was time for cake. He was given a very generous slice and it tasted heavenly. He knew Gabriel had made it just from the proud, beaming look on his face and though Cas was suddenly not all that hungry, he forced down as much of it as he could to make his brother happy.

“Cas, you okay?” Dean asked quietly as Cas shifted again, trying to get comfortable.

Sighing, Cas nodded, “Yes, I’m just…my back still hurts and nothing feels right. I don’t think I got quite enough sleep last night. But I assure you, I’m having a wonderful time.”

“Are you sure? Didn’t Pamela say something about back labor? Didn’t she say it can mask the early stages of labor?” Dean tried to keep the panic out of his voice and his scent. “And didn’t she say you could have the baby early?”

Nodding, Cas’s eyes widened, the panic catching him, spreading. The noise of the baby shower drained away as the scent permeated the room, their guests turning to face them. Neither Dean nor Cas noticed, with as focused on each other as they were.

“Fuck, how do we tell?” Dean gulped. “Cas, what do you want me to do?”

“I-I’m not sure, I –“ Cas froze as the baby gave a particularly hard kick. He brought his hand down to his stomach, but the movement had stopped. With another sigh, he shifted and froze again. His thighs were wet. He looked down and then back up with wide eyes. “Maybe we should call Pamela?”

Turned out, Mary was right about something else.

Panicking Alphas made things worse.

It was Mary who got Cas ready, who helped him to the car, and who drove him to the hospital, Gabriel in the front seat. John was told – in no uncertain terms – to stay home and take care of clearing out the guests, and Dean was sent to fetch Cas’s previously prepared bag before finally being allowed to sit in the back seat and curl up with his not-yet-mate. He tried not to panic, really he did. But smelling how much pain Cas was in, knowing this baby was nearly a month early…well, Dean was barely holding it together.

But he did. For Cas.

Gabriel stayed in the waiting room, phone at the ready, while Mary and Dean stayed with Cas. It took longer than any of them would have liked, considering the baby had decided to come so early, but eventually, little Joshua James made his way into the world at 6 pounds, 2 ounces and almost 1 and a half feet long with a loud, powerful cry.

Cas smiled loopily at the baby boy when Joshua was finally set into his arms while Dean laughed giddily. He held him close to his chest, Joshua already nosing about for sustenance. It took a few false attempts before he was suckling away contentedly. Dean watched, eyes wide, at the sight before him.

Soon, Joshua was finished, falling asleep and his mouth going slack. And before Cas knew it, he was surrounded by Winchesters and Gabriel all congratulating him and Dean, pictures being snapped often enough that he lost track of how many he’d posed for before his eyes started to droop.

It was about that time that a nurse wandered in and started shooing everyone else out, leaving only him and Dean, much to his relief. Cas was tired, overwhelmed and despite the hospital scent sterilizer, there were too many to deal with. She plucked the baby out of Cas’s arms and while he was reluctant to let him go, Cas allowed it. Tired as he was, he was deathly afraid he’d drop Joshua on his head if he fell asleep while holding him.

“C’mon, little guy, let’s go see daddy…” she said, turning to Dean.

Dean paled and gulped. Through slowly closing eyes, Cas struggling to keep them open to witness this moment, he watched as Dean at first shook his head before the nurse gently tucked the baby into the Alpha’s arms, showing him how to support Joshua properly.

Cas smiled at the sight and wished that he had a picture of  _ this  _ moment, of Dean holding Joshua for the first time. Of the Alpha melting when he looked down into the face of his son, as Dean slowly relaxed into the hold. Of Dean reaching a gentle finger to run along Joshua’s cheek, awe on his face. He looked up at Cas, still awed.

“Holy shit, Cas…did we…we really made this, didn’t we? It just…seems so impossible,” Dean’s voice shook a little. “He’s so little and…just…look at his hands…” Dean looked back down at their son. Joshua’s eyes were closed and he was already dressed in a bumblebee onesie with matching sleeper. Little striped cap on his head, his fingers currently waving free as he stirred and leaned toward the Alpha. Dean gently took the baby’s hand and when the fingers opened and curled again – accidentally, Cas was sure, the baby was still too new, less than a few hours old, but oh what a sight it was – around Dean’s index finger, the Alpha had tears in his eyes.

Cas reached for him, fumbling through the rail of his bed to get a hand on Dean, causing the young Alpha to look back up at him and away from Joshua. Cas smiled at him and, though it was tired, the happiness was clear. The scent of the room was still too full of the lingering excitement of their families, the sterilizer working overtime to cover it (and starting to succeed now that it was just the three of them and the nurse) making it hard for their own scents to make much of a dent. A scent suppressor was standard practice in hospitals, which, now that everyone else was gone, Cas actually disappointed about that. Still, Cas was so out of it from the drugs that he just smiled stupidly at the Alpha and their baby.

“Aaaaand…there we go,” the nurse said – what was her name? Had she said? Cas blinked confusedly, dragging his eyes away from Dean and Joshua to look at her – holding something between her fingers. Two somethings actually, and one of those new style polaroid’s dangled from her neck. She gave the two things – pictures, they must have been photographs – a final wave in the air before handing them to Cas. He took them with the hand not dodging tubes and bars, placed them on his stomach and stared.

She’d managed to take a photo of Dean holding their son for the first time and it made Cas’s throat fill with a lump of emotion. With trembling fingers, he slid the top photo aside to find one of the three of them – and the emotions on their face was unmistakable. Dean might be younger than Cas had wanted, there was still concern there about that, but the love and wonder and giddiness, despite tired eyes, was clear for all to see.

The lump in his throat grew bigger and tears formed in his eyes. “Thank you,” he choked out. She smiled at him, patted his shoulder and then moved the photos to the side table to keep them safe. She checked his vitals and nodded approvingly. “Now then, let’s let you get some sleep. Think you deserve it. Baby will be waking you up soon enough to feed again.”

He nodded as she walked out, and slowly fell asleep, the last thing he saw was Dean still cradling their son, looking up at Cas and sending him a huge, blinding smile.

The nurse hadn’t been wrong. Joshua woke Cas less than three hours later with a hungry cry and a panicking Dean. A nurse came in then, helping Cas’s fumbling fingers to undo his gown and position Joshua comfortably. The baby’s cries silenced almost instantly as he found something else to occupy his mouth. Dean sat close and they both stared down in amazement. Cas wondered if this feeling of awe and disbelief would ever go away.

Cas couldn’t go home right away because he’d needed a C-section, but Dean didn’t leave his side once. Wonder of wonders, his parents didn’t argue with him about it either. Cas tried, though.

“Dean, you have to go. You’re missing school,” Cas admonished him while Joshua fed again, tucked up into Cas’s chest as close as possible. He reached down and gently ran a finger over the baby’s forehead.

“Two days of missed classes ain’t gonna hurt me, Cas. ‘sides, Charlie’s promised to pick up my homework. I can work on it here, okay? I just…these are the first few days we get to spend with our son. Once those days are gone, we’ll never get them back again. I want to be here and…I just…” Dean fumbled the words.

Cas looked up, an understanding light in his eyes. “You just want to bond with him. Of course, Dean. I shouldn’t have suggested otherwise. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, Cas. I get why you did but…” Dean leaned in close, their heads and shoulders touching as he looked down at Joshua. The baby’s eyes were closed and his little hands were balled up into fists pressed close against Cas’s chest, fingers flexing with each little suck of his mouth. “I couldn’t miss this…” he whispered.

Turned out, once they got the baby home, that both Mary  _ and  _ John had been right. Sleepless nights followed and baby cries were heard throughout the house, not simply confined to their room.

And their room…Cas gasped when they arrived home, baby Joshua asleep in his car seat, Dean carrying him in (Cas had been told in no uncertain terms  _ not  _ to lift anything heavier than his baby for at least two or three weeks), finding that someone, Mary most likely, had fixed up the room. The cradle had its new bee printed sheets and a blanket folded over the rail. The baby supplies had been carefully put away and sorted, even the crib – which wouldn’t be needed for some time – was all made up.

Would he ever get used to this family? Cas wondered. How giving and kind they all were? How different they were from his own cold parents?

“Do you regret it?” Dean asked softly after they’d settled Joshua into his cradle. The two of them were now resting together on the bed, eyes glued to the cradle as it gently rocked.

“Regret what?” Cas asked.

“Meeting me…” Dean’s voice was small, not entirely from trying to be quiet for their son’s sake. His scent was so uncertain and a little scared that Cas had to tear his eyes away from Joshua to look at Dean.

“No, I don’t regret that. Never. I only regret  _ when  _ we met, not that we did. I don’t think you realize how much you and your family have changed me – and I don’t mean what’s happened  _ because  _ we met. I’m not talking about losing my job and my home, of having a child. I’m talking about  _ me.  _ I’m sure I’ve learned more of who I am in these past few months that I had in the entire decade prior.”

Cas’s voice cracked as he spoke and Dean finally looked away from Joshua to the Omega, leaning into him, concern in his eyes, his scent turning less uncertain and scared, and more concerned. “Cas…”

Cas gently put a finger over Dean’s mouth. “No, please, let me finish.” He took his finger away and Dean nodded. Cas took a deep breath before continuing. “I never got to just be myself, to be a kid. My parents were cold and strict. What little affection they gave never came with the ease that your family shows affection. I didn’t know it could be like that. Instead, with my parents, such shows of affection always came with a price and I could never do anything right. Even before I presented as an Omega – which was a great disappointment to them, but somehow neither were they surprised – they restricted so many things, such activities that normal children get. And afterwards, I had to work so much harder than my brothers to be able to convince them to allow me to follow my dreams, that it wouldn’t be a waste of their time.

If I didn’t have Gabriel, I’m not sure I would have persevered – I think I might have cracked from the pressures. Going to college gave me a sense of freedom I never had before but…but I still felt trapped by the thought that my parents could withdraw their support any moment, should they ever have decided my behavior was unfitting for a Novak.”

Dean pulled Cas against him, urging the Omega to scent him more deeply as a reassurance. Cas turned his nose into Dean’s neck thankfully and drew strength from him, from the depth of feeling Cas still couldn’t believe Dean held for him – True Mate or no.

“But here, I’ve learned to…to have fun, to lighten up as Gabriel – and later Balthazar – had tried so often to get me to do. But I’d been too afraid. You let me be me…your  _ family _ lets me be me – because of your support, I’ve discovered who  _ me  _ even is.”

“So no, I don’t regret meeting you, only the timing of it. If we’d met even a year and a half later, no one would have even blinked an eye. The younger you are, the bigger the differences in the gaps, despite it working out mathematically the same. That’s the part that hurts me,” Castiel finished with a whisper.

“Yeah, but Cas, like, that number is completely arbitrary. Who gets to decide when I’m old enough to be responsible for myself or my actions? It shouldn’t be some government who’s never even met me. It should be my parents, if anything. This number, it’s…I looked it up, okay,” Dean said, Castiel looking at him in surprise. Dean chuckled. “I know, I know. Me willingly doing research…but seriously. The “age of consent”-“ Cas had to restrain a chuckle to see his habit of air quotes had rubbed off on Dean. “-it changes from century to century, culture to culture. What’s not old enough here and now, was once way more than okay. Which one is right? Personally, I think it should be taken on a case by case basis after a certain age. I mean, I’ve met plenty of people my dad’s age who don’t act like they’re adults at all, while I know teens my own age that could pass for adults if you gauged them solely on their interactions and not their ages or their looks. Why should we get penalized?”

“I can understand your frustration, Dean but arbitrary or not, it still makes me uncomfortable. I won’t –“

“No, it’s okay. I’m not trying to push you or make you feel guilty. I can wait. I’ll be 18 in nine months and then we can see how you feel about things. Sound good?”

Cas nodded but before he could say anything more, Joshua chose that moment to wake. Cas and Dean both froze, nearly holding their breath as they peered over to see what the baby would do.

At first, the baby snuffled a bit, then blinked his eyes, his little hands ensconced in the sleepers built in mittens waved slightly, his fidgeting having broken him out of the blanket he’d been wrapped in.

“Crap…I just can’t get the hang of that baby swaddly-burrito thing,” Dean said quietly.

Cas snorted softly as the baby’s coos changed to something a little louder and Dean’s face grew wary. Within in seconds, Joshua let out a tentative cry and Dean snatched him up in an instant, with no hesitation. Cas allowed a smile. Dean had confided in him his fears that he wouldn’t be a good parent – not that he didn’t love children, just that he was so afraid he’d drop him, or get frustrated with him.

Watching him fuss over Joshua, Cas was certain the worry Dean held was unfounded. Of course, only time would truly tell, but was Cas watched, Dean had Joshua calmed in no time. His fingers had been slightly clumsy but he’d managed to undress, change and redress their son again with no problems.

Cas might be unsure of how the future would unfold, but he was certain of two things. Dean’s love for him and Joshua and Cas’s love for Dean.

All else, time would set right.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter should post sometime late friday night or saturday morning. My family should be converging on my house friday night and we have my kids birthday party at an arcade on saturday, but there should be enough of a window in there to get it posted. Thanks for sticking around :D


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's just a few more things for Cas and Dean and they've been a long time coming, but they were well worth the wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been having a really crazy, stressfully busy kind of week and then today was just the Icing on the cake for craptastic. 
> 
> So i'm putting this up early so i can feel like i accomplished something.
> 
> Thank you all SO MUCH for reading along with this story. I have been completely amazed at the response it has gotten and your comments have all brightened up several bad days! They were very welcome!
> 
> Oh, and uh, this chapter is DEFINITELY NSFW...

It had been a long year, filled with many ups and downs. Caring for a child had most definitely been a learning curve for both Cas and Dean, but at least they had familial support when needed.

There had been that frightening day when Joshua had spiked a fever so high, had become so listless, that both Dean and Cas had nearly panicked. A call to the doctor had had the on-call nurse insisting that Joshua’s fever could not have possibly hit 104 degrees and that they were using the thermometer wrong. Or the wrong thermometer completely (Why would they sell ear thermometers if they didn’t work? Besides, even without the number given by the device, Joshua’s head felt way too hot to the touch).

Deciding not to risk it, they’d driven Joshua to the Emergency room. His temperature had gone down by the time they checked in, clocking in at 102 while they did paperwork – this was an emergency! Why couldn’t the doctor see them first and they could do the paperwork  _ later? –  _ and disappearing completely by the time the Doctor came around to see them.

Shrugging, saying that sometimes that happened with babies, the doctor did nothing except to suggest that next time, they set up a lukewarm bath and set Joshua in it, and give him a cold washcloth to suck on. As he got older, that could graduate to ice pops and the like. With frustration, that’s what Cas did the next time it happened. Joshua revived almost as soon as he hit the bathwater, the washcloth getting jammed into his mouth.

Crawling was another worry, but the house was easy to baby proof. Then they discovered he was also a climber and that was something that nearly gave Cas a heart attack as he rushed to make sure Joshua didn’t fall and gently pry his fingers off the shelf he’d been attempting to climb.

Gabriel finished up his schooling and accepted one of the offers he’d gotten – picking the one closest to Lawrence as possible. He moved out less than a week later to Kansas City, Castiel thankful that he was only a 45-minute drive away and not any further than that.

Dean’s 18 th birthday had swung around but Cas had adamantly told him “Not yet.” Castiel continued to endure his heats elsewhere so as not to torture Dean (and Dean, in return, respected Cas’s wishes by doing the same during his ruts).

Joshua turned one the day Cain brought the good news that Cas had won his case and would be able to start teaching again the next year. It was a great cause for celebration and the family went all out. Cas was nearly in tears by the end of the combined party – he’d insisted they not make a big deal out of it, and to focus only on Joshua, but apparently, Winchesters never do things by halves. They had three cakes –  _ three! ( _ There was one for Cas, one for Joshua, and one for Joshua to smash to pieces for photos) – and two entire tables worth of gifts, though Cas was pleased to note that Joshua, at least, had the lion’s share of it, as he should.

There were many pictures taken, laughs had and a good time was enjoyed by all.

Then, an agonizing two months later, Dean graduated from High School.

There was another grand party extravaganza, though Dean had requested none, his mother insisted, saying, “This is a once in a lifetime deal, sweetheart, and we’re sure as hell going to celebrate your accomplishment.”

And then, a mere few days after that, the moment Dean and Cas been waiting and planning for the past month was upon them. Leaving Joshua in the capable hands of his grandparents, Dean and Cas hopped into the Impala and drove away to the somewhat fancy hotel room they’d booked for a week. They’d made sure to ask for one of the special heat rooms, with the special services included and quickly, nervously, unpacked the car and brought everything inside.

Cas had been using similar rooms for his heats ever since Joshua was born, and Dean had as well for his ruts, but this would be the first time either of them had shared one with the other. Dean and Cas, despite not yet mating, had finally synced up.

In a few hours, Cas’s heat would start, and not long after that, Dean’s rut would kick in. Neither knew what to expect, but they knew what they had planned. Before they left, they would be tied to each other permanently, their bonding made official and claiming their status, at long last, as mates.

Dean brought in the last 24 pack of bottled water and looked over to where Cas was sitting on the floor, already shirtless and sweating, as he fit as many as he could into the fridge. It had been nearly two years since the one and only time they had had sex, but Dean could still remember it as clear as if it had been yesterday.

Remembering the feel of Cas, the taste of him, the cries he’d made – Dean held back a groan as he hardened in his pants. Cas turned slowly and, abandoning the water, made his way to where Dean stood. His eyes were fever bright, pupils blown and heat radiated off him.

His smell was intoxicating and this time Dean couldn’t hold back the groan. They stood their for a long moment and then the next, they were pressed tightly against each other, their lips greedily moving over each other, their hips moving together, rubbing, the friction so delicious that Dean whimpered.

He didn’t remember moving, couldn’t remember how they got to the bed, both of them stark naked, but Dean didn’t argue, couldn’t complain. This was right where he wanted to be, with Cas, showing him how much he cared for him. Ready to claim him and be claimed and announce to the world that they were together. The thought filled him with such happiness and pride he nearly burst right then and there.

“Not yet, Dean, not yet…I need you…” Cas whispered breathlessly. Dean nodded against his throat, then turned to place his lips over the hollow there and sucked. Cas whimpered and Dean drowned in the sound and feel and scent of Cas – all Cas, surrounding him in every way imaginable.

Every way except one…

Remembering last time, Dean pulled back a little, sliding down the length of Cas’s body, licking and kissing, caressing and teasing the whole way down. His eyes widened at the sight of Cas’s hard cock and licked his lips. He wanted – so bad – but at the same time, he could feel his rut starting to kick in, just as they’d known it would.

With a quick series of licks, Dean popped his mouth down just over the head of Cas’s cock. Cas cried out and jerked upwards, the sensation of Dean – warm and wet around him – nearly too much for him to take. Dean smirked but gave him mercy, popping off and continuing his trek past Cas’s hard length and to something even more inviting for Dean.

The Omega’s glistening hole, the pucker, his cheeks and his thighs already soaking wet with slick – slick from heat, slick from desire and the  _ scent!  _ Oh  _ God _ , that scent! It was going to drive Dean insane.

His hands moved without actual thought, grasping Cas’s legs and pushing them up and out, Cas quickly reaching down to grab the backs of his thighs and hold them up, exposing himself completely to Dean’s gaze. Dean gulped, his fingers sliding down torturously slow till they reached Cas’s ass. With firm fingers, Dean pulled the globes of Cas’s ass apart, showing the fluttering hole. Cas shook under his gaze and he pleaded, “Dean, please…please!”

Dean lunged forward, licking up slick, the scent of it bursting over his taste buds. His eyes fluttered closed with a moan, his tongue swirling closer and closer to Cas’s hole until it slipped inside, tasting the slick from its source. He plunged his tongue in and out and around the edges of his entrance. Cas was already rocking back on his tongue when Dean slowly, finally, added a finger. The pressure that bore down on him was amazing, and Dean imagined that tight pressure, that wet hole wrapped around his dick and his eyes rolled back in his head at the thought.

One finger became two, and eventually three. Cas was chanting Dean’s name, calling out please, again and again. “I’m ready, Dean, we’re ready, please…please, for the love of all that is holy, make me yours.”

“Only if you make me yours in return,” Dean whispered. With a finale thrust of his tongue, Dean slid up again so that their lips could meet. Cas tasted himself on Dean and shuddered at the feelings that invoked. He was burning up and he needed – oh so goddamn badly! Needed a knot, that piece of Dean he’d been tantalized with long ago and had to deny himself.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Cas panted between kisses, writhing and pushing down on the fingers still in his ass. Suddenly they were gone and he whined. His whine cut short as something else, something hard and blunt and  _ big  _ pressed against his hole, slowly pressing in. Was Dean always this big? Cas wondered.

Then Dean was in and Cas ceased to care, rocking down Dean’s hard length and wrapping his legs around the Alpha’s waist, his hands scrabbling for a hold on Dean. One hand gripped at the small of Dean’s back, trying to pull him against Cas harder, deeper, the other tangled in the short locks of brownish hair.

Dean tried to go slow, tried to make it last, but the wet, tight heat of Cas’s ass proved too much. He fell against the Omega and thrust, then thrust again. He gasped, and tears filled his eyes at the overwhelming feeling, the sense of rightness and love coursing through him. Desperately, Dean’s lips moved over Cas’s, parting and diving back in, then parting briefly again with every panting, euphoric breath.

Through a haze, Dean could hear Cas crying out with every thrust, every glide of Dean’s cock in Cas’s ass, every thrust against that special spot, that little nub that sent even more pleasure than Dean or cas had ever thought possible zinging through the Omega.

The thrusts grew frantic – the heat and the rut laying claim to them now – and Dean knew it was now or never, before they were lost in the desperate longing and week long fucking. His knot caught on Cas’s rim and Cas made a sound Dean had never heard before. He trailed his lips across Cas’s jaw, down to his neck, feeling Cas do the same.

They licked, preparing for the right moment, the moment they needed for a bite, for a mark. Dean’s hips pistoned into Cas, his cock driving deep and then Cas’s hand moved. Sliding further down Dean’s lower back, down and down across the swell of his ass, Cas’s hand kneaded and groped.

When the tip of a single finger breached  _ Dean’s  _ hole, his knot caught and locked with a yell. His hips thrust forward and tried to thrust back into that finger – oh hell, how had he never thought to try that with himself? – and he whimpered at the very shallow thrust it gained him.

Cas once more took mercy on Dean and speared him with that single finger and Dean locked up, coming and biting down, the taste of blood pooling in his mouth – not as unpleasant as he’d feared, instead causing lightning to travel down his spine. He thought nothing could feel better than this moment – until Cas bit down and he came again and again, his hips trying their damndest to keep thrusting, but inhibited by the locking of his knot.

With a final lick to Cas’s throat, Dean found his mouth again, his hips stuttering as orgasm after orgasm washed through him, through them both, Dean getting coated in slick and sticky white spend. Every gasp and moan meant Cas clenched around Dean’s cock, and each clench had Dean spilling more and more.

Panting hard, Dean finally stopped thrusting and rolled to his side, pulling Cas along with him. Their legs tangled as they stared at each other reverently. Nothing outwardly had changed other than the others bite mark now appearing on their necks, but they knew that  _ everything  _ had changed now.

Now they were mates.

They’d become friends first, then fathers together, and now, finally and officially, mates.

It had been worth the wait, Dean acknowledged at last. He’d once made his argument to Cas about the age of consent, but it had been worth the wait, to meet Cas as an equal. Not as a student, or a kid, but as a man, free and clear of the myriad stigmas of his age.

From this moment forward, they’d take their lives together. They’d already learned each other’s ways, their habits, their likes and dislikes and hopes and dreams.

Now they would put it to use.

* * *

 

**Bonus Scene:**

Cas sat at the kitchen table, several white envelopes in his mother’s neat handwriting spread before him. He was frowning down at them when Dean found him there, Joshua in his arms. The little boy’s delight at seeing Papa distracted Cas into looking up at his precious little boy. Joshua – the blonde hair he’d been born with darkening to a rich brown only a few weeks after his birth – eagerly reached out his arms and Dean chuckled.

“Hey, little one,” Cas crooned at the freckled, green eyed boy, now a little over a year old and  _ very  _ active, taking him into his own arms and cuddling him close.

“Whatchya got there, babe?” Dean nodded at the envelopes. “Mail came?”

“No, I found these in the garbage.” Cas resolutely didn’t look at them again as he bounced his giggling little boy on his knee.

“What?” Dean smelled just as startled as he sounded and Cas relaxed to know for certain that Dean had had nothing to do with it. He hadn’t really believed it anyway, but…people had surprised him before. Dean sat down beside Cas and pulled one of the innocent looking envelopes closer to him. He blinked and swore when he saw the name on it and shoved it away. “What the fuck are  _ they  _ writing you for?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t found the courage to look yet.” Cas looked at his mate. “Would you…?”

“Of course,” Dean said, leaning in to kiss Cas. With Joshua in Cas’s lap, Dean had to keep it short and chaste, but it still sent a happy warmth through his body. Dean picked up the earliest letter and unceremoniously ripped it open. He scanned its contents briefly before snarling, the paper crinkling in his hands. “Oh  _ fuck _ no! Cas, these are all going right back in the trash. Whoever did that the first time had the right idea.”

“Tell me what it said, Dean,” Cas insisted.

“Now that you’ve been proven ‘innocent’ of wrongdoing, they want you to come back home. With Joshua. And they don’t even ask very nicely. They just sorta…demand it. And your mate isn’t even mentioned. Or your brother.”

“In other words, they just want their grandchild under their thumb the way I was,” Cas stated flatly. He didn’t even bother asking how his parents knew about Joshua. It had become public knowledge with his court case against the school. “Never going to happen.”

Dean shook his head and scooted closer to Cas and their son, folding them into a hug. “No, not after the way they treated you and your brother – but especially you. They don’t deserve any of you.”

Cas hummed happily at Dean’s heartfelt declaration and leaned his head against his Alpha’s, smiling at Joshua as he giggled and wiggled to get down on the floor. Gently lowering him to his feet, the two of them watched him explore.

“Y’know, I bet it was Mom,” Dean said finally.

“Hmm?” Cas was so lost in the comforting warmth of Dean’s arms and the joy of watching their son play with the magnets on the fridge that the words confused him for a second.

“Who threw the letters out. I’m pretty sure if your parents ever have the gall to actually come  _ here  _ instead of writing letters, it won’t fare too well for them. Not even counting me, ‘cause you know I got your back, Cas, but if Mom doesn’t get ‘em, pretty sure Dad will,” Dean said softly.

Cas looked up at Dean, so filled with love he was sure he would burst at any second. “I still don’t know how I got so lucky to get you and your family, Dean. You’re amazing, all of you.”

Dean blushed and ducked his head into Cas’s neck. He mumbled something Cas couldn’t hear but the embarrassedly pleased scent tickled his nose and he smiled, turning back to watch as Joshua plopped down on his diapered butt with a giggle, sliding another giant, letter magnet across the fridge.

This was his life now and he couldn’t be happier, despite the rough start to it.

Everything had worked out.

And his parents would never be able to take that away from him. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So i know some of you were really hoping for a face to face confrontation between Mary and the Novaks - I'm sorry you didn't get that, but I hope you enjoyed the story anyway! 
> 
> What's next on my agenda?
> 
>   * The Saileen Big Bang (written and ready)
>   * The DCBB (Written and Ready - Posting Date is Nov 8th! Lammas Night - a fantasy Destiel AU - keep your eye out for it!) 
>   * The DWBB (Dean Winchester Big Bang - in process - posts in spring)
>   * PineFest (In process - posts in spring)
>   * SPN ABO Bingo (In process - I think I have 4 squares left? Due Date December 1st!)
> 

> 
> those are my active signed up for projects. I also have a couple of short story series that are still in process that i'll add to as i go ( Strength of a Bond, The McCoy Files, and Tales from a Candy Store) and of course, Tumblr prompts which have not all migrated here as of yet (not sure they all will :( I didn't like the way they got organized and i'm still not sure what i want to do about it because the only way to fix it the way i want is to delete and move things around and i'm pretty sure that will annoy people :( )
> 
> Again! Thanks for reading! stop by on Tumblr and drop me a line anytime :D

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go to [DrDean](http://archiveofourown.org/users/drdean/) for beta'ing my story :D
> 
> Come visit me on [tumblr](https://pherryt.tumblr.com/)
> 
> This entire fic is already written - the plan is to update once a week while i concentrate on my DWBB and my Pinefest and my SPN ABO Bingo Card (my DCBB is already done)


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